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How to Plb^y 

BASE -BALL 



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BY 



CONNIE MACK 




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PRICE 



25 



CENTS 



Connie Mack 



1903 

Drexel Biddle 

PUBLISHER 

PHILADELPHIA 



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CORNELIUS MCGILLI CUDDY 

(CONNIE mack) 

The popular manager of the Athletic (A.L.) Club 
Champions for season of 1902 



How TO Play 
Baseball 



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CONNIE MACK 

(Cornelius McGillicuddy) 

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DREXEL BIDDLE Publisher 
PHILADELPHIA 






THE LIBRARY OF 
CON (jR ESS, 


Two Copies 


Received 


APR 21 

Cop>fnint 

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1903 

Lntry 
XXc. No. 


COPY 


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Copyright, 1903, b. DREXEL IIDDLE 



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Printed by The Drexel Biddle Press 



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[PREFACE 



To become a good baseball player is the 
ambition of every boy at school, and the 
absence of any sound, practical advice has 
often resulted in spoiling young men, who, 
under different conditions, might have been 
developed into first-class players. Many ama- 
teur and young players jump at the conclusion 
that as they are able to throw, or catch a balj, 
or run fast, they are on the proper road to 
become first-class players, and that these attri- 
butes constitute the groundwork of a baseball 
player. 

This is a common error, inasmuch as the 
head is the principal stock in trade of a first- 
class player. While the arms and legs are 
necessary adjuncts, they must be controlled by 
a superior power, which is the brain. This is 
essential in all good players. Many of the 
greatest experts who have graced the diamond 
may be said to have reached that degree of 
excellence and prominence mainly through 
their superior headwork while on the ball 
field. As an illustration, I might mention 
that the majority of college men now playing 
in the major and intercollegiate leagues have 
won their baseball spurs through an earnest- 
ness of desire to excel in that particular branch 

13 



Preface 

of the game to which they have devoted their 
attention, and where, by the use of their head, 
rather than speed and strength, they are suc- 
cessful. 

The present book is designed to cover not 
only the way to play baseball and how differ- 
ent positions should be filled, but to offer sug- 
gestions as to the proper methods of training 
and practice. The erroneous ideas usually en- 
tertained by young players will be pointed out 
and the field of base ball covered in full. 
CORNELIUS McGILLICUDDY. 
(Connie Mack.) 



*4 




HARRY C. PULLIAM 

President National League 



Harry C. Pulliam 

President National League 

Harry C. Pulliam was born in Scottsville, 
Ky., thirty-three years ago. He is a graduate 
of Virginia University. He became a news- 
paper man in Louisville after graduation and 
was a successful base-ball writer for several 
years. In 1898 he resigned his position as city 
editor of the Louisville Commercial and ac- 
cepted the presidency of the Louisville Club. 
In 1897 he was elected a member of the Ken- 
tucky Legislature and served one term. 

Since 1898 Pulliam has been in the thick 
of all the fights that have disturbed the Na- 
tional League magnates. In 1899 Barney 
Dreyfuss secured control of the Louisville Club 
and Pulliam was deposed from the presidency. 
He was elected secretary and treasurer and con- 
tinued to represent the club at the National 
League meetings. 

In the fall of 1899 Dreyfuss and Pulliam en- 
gineered the biggest base-ball deal of recent 



years. They consolidated the Louisville and 
Pittsburg Clubs and sold fourteen players to 
Pittsburg, including Fred Clarke, Hans Wag- 
ner, Claude Ditchey and others, laying the 
foundation of the present Pittsburg champions. 

Pulliam was elected secretary of the Pitts- 
burg Club and retained that position until he 
was elected president of the National League 
at the December meeting in this city. 

On December 12, 1902, Pulliam was unani- 
mously elected president of the National 
League to succeed Nicholas E. Young, of 
Washington. 

Ever since the ''Boy President," as Pulliam 
was called, joined the magnates in the councils 
he has been a very useful man to the National 
League. On more than one occasion when the 
magnates became overheated in arguments in 
New York city, where so many base-ball deals, 
good and bad, have been put through, Pulliam 
has jollied the belligerents back into good hu- 
mor. When it was contemplated to organize 
the National Association to fight the American 
League, Pulliam worked night and day in the 
interest of the league. When Pulliam had all 
his plans arranged the magnates upset tlieiu 



through demanding concessions from the As- 
sociation promoters that they were unable to 
comply with. 

Pulliam is popular with all sorts and condi- 
tions of base-b^ll men and is considered diplo- 
matic enough to handle the cases that are sub- 
mitted to the league and come under the presi- 
dent's jurisdiction. 




BYRON BANCROFT JOHNSON 

President American League 



Byron Bancroft Johnson 

President American League 

Without doubt the most important figure in 
base-ball to-day is President Byron Bancroft 
Johnson, of the American League. To his skill, 
perseverance and execution the American 
League is largely indebted for its proud posi- 
tion in the base-ball world. In the perform- 
ance of his duty as he sees it or as laid down 
by the law, Johnson knows neither friend nor 
foe. Hence, his rule, while vigorous, com- 
mands respect and obedience. His one ambi- 
tion in life has been to place the American 
League where it now is. 

Ban Johnson was born in Cincinnati in 1863, 
and is the son of Professor Johnson, of Avon- 
dale. During his connection with the press, 
Johnson frequently ran afoul of President John 
T. Brush, of the Cincinnati Club. Since then 
he has engaged in a series of battles with 
Brush, and in every instance he has had the 
better of the argument with the wily Talley- 



rand of base-ball politics. 

In 1893 the Western League held a meeting 
in Indianapolis. Brush, who was the owner 
of the Indianapolis team, did not attend the 
first day's session of the league. Charles 
Comiskey presented Johnson's name for the 
presidency, and he was elected, much to the 
disgust of Brush when he arrived on the scene 
the next day. 

There was no friction during the first year, 
as the league did well financially, and Johnson 
proved a capable executive. In 1894 Johnson 
engaged in his first battle. The Indianapolis 
Club was one of the weakest in the league, and 
at the close of the season. Brush drafted sev- 
eral crack players from other Western League 
teams ostensibly for the Cincinnati Club, of 
the National League. Before the season of 
1893 was more than a few weeks old, these 
players were sent to Indianapolis. Other club 
owners raised a protest against this shady 
transaction, claiming that Indianapolis, 
through its relations with the Cincinnati Club, 
had an unfair advantage. President Johnson 
agreed with them, and he and Brush locked 
horns. The battle lasted nearlv two vears, and 



at one time Brush almost succeeded in throwing 
Johnson and the Western League out in the 
cold through the Board of Arbitration. With 
the aid. of Colonel Rogers and other National 
League men, Johnson defeated the scheme, and 
Brush only saved his seat in the National 
Board by promising to dispose of his interest 
in the IndianapoHs Club. 

The Western League, under Johnson's 
handling, in the next few years became the 
strongest minor league in the country. In 
1899, w^hen the National League set about re- 
ducing itself to an eight-club basis, Johnson 
began the expansion policy that has resulted 
so disastrously for the National League. He 
changed the name of the Western to the Amer- 
ican League, and induced Charles Comiskey 
to move his St. Paul team and franchise to 
Chicago. This move brought on a clash with 
the National League, the first of a long series 
in which the older body has invariably been 
worsted. 

In 1901 the American League made the bold- 
est move in its history. Johnson announced 
that clubs would be placed in Boston, Philadel- 
phia, Baltimore and Washington. The Na 



tional League men ignored Johnson and his 
intentions and laughed at him. While the Na- 
tional League was in session in this city in the 
spring of 1901, Johnson was in Philadelphia 
awaiting a message which did not come until 
two years later, when the once haughty Na- 
tional League men petitioned Johnson to end 
the base-ball war. 

The supporters of the American League have 
implicit faith in Johnson. One of them says : 
''Ban Johnson has fairly fought for and won 
in his ten years of base-ball leadership the full- 
est meed of success and is clearly entitled to 
his position as the greatest executive in the 
base-ball world. There is not a single instance 
on record where Johnson has failed to accom- 
plish what he had set out to do." 




BILL DOUGLASS 




-^i^e^ ^jAATViyt4 '^^'^i^^^daJL^ 



The Art of Pitching 

By George Edward (Rube) Waddell 



A pitcher's sole desire is to accomplish his 
work in such a manner as to secure the best 
results. My record with the Champion Ath- 
letics (American L^eague) team during the sea- 
son of 1902 was due to my ability in mastering 
.the different assortments of balls used by the 
leading pitchers of the country, I varied my 
pitching to suit the occasions as required. 
Being over six feet in height and weighing two 
hundred pounds I had many advantages not 
enjoyed by lighter and smaller pitchers, espe- 
cially when it became necessary for me to use 
speed. 

My best ball is a fast inshoot, which breaks 
when close to the batsman and is a very hard 
ball to judge. I would advise all young pitchers 
to use a fast ball, as they will find it much 
easier on the arm. 

I depend mostly upon a fast ball, and up 
to the present time have been free from a sore 
arm, although I have pitched for the past seven 
years. But it is necessary to be able to use a 




n 




< 
n 

a. 

a 



Art of Pitching 

slow ball, with the same motion as when de- 
livering a fast ball, which makes the speedy 
ball more efifective. 

All pitchers will have days when it seems 
almost impossible to get up full speed, and 
on such days they change their delivery and use 
either the slow ball or an out curve. Upon 
such days I would advise young pitchers to 
use a curve ball, but would advise no pitcher 
to use a curve ball when the same results can 
be accomplished with his fast ball. 

My advice to all young pitchers when 
first entering the box and facing the 
batsman is to study closely the position 
taken by batsman. If finding he is stand- 
ing close to the plate keep the ball in close and 
use as much speed as possible. I would also 
advise young pitchers when being hit freely to 
stop and rest, or, in other words, to steady him- 
self long enough to regain his control. This 
will also worry the batsman, and that is the 
main thing in pitching. 




H. D. QUIN 

President American Baseball Association 




EDDIE McFARLAND 




NAPOLEON LAJOIE 



How TO Play Baseball 



BATTING 




THE most difficult feature of 
baseball in which to acquire 
proficiency, and the one to 
which least attention is usu- 
ally given, is batting. This 
is especially the case with 
young players, with w^hom 
inability to hit is the great- 
est weakness as compared 
to fielding. Just as clean 
fielding can be witnessed in 
amateur games as that seen 
in the best professional con- 
tests, but the batting is 
always light. Much of this can be overcome 
if more attention and time are devoted to it. 

It is a grievous error to suppose that bat- 
ting practice consists of hitting grounders to 
the infield or long flies to the outfield. While 
no harm can come from such form of prac- 
tice, I do not consider any great good will 
follow. The practice is so entirely different 
from that w^hich is required w^hen actually hit- 

2 17 



How to Play Baseball 

ting pitched balls, that it does not improve the 
player's hitting any more than lawn tennis or 
exercises with Indian clubs. 

It helps to develop many of the same mus- 
cles of the wrists, arms, body and legs that 
are used in actual play, and to that extent it 
is a good thing. But its uselessness as an aid 
to good hitting lies in the fact that it does not 
train the eye. 

It is not good batting practice to hit against 
a player who knows nothing about pitching, 
but who insists upon taking his place in the 
box and just tosses the ball over the plate. 
The only real practice is when the batter takes 
his place at the home plate with a pitcher who 
has good control and is possessed of a fair 
amount of speed. In that way only can the 
brain, muscles and eye be taught to work in 
imison. There is one thing to be avoided, and 
that is hitting against a swift pitcher who does 
not know himself where the ball is going. 

It is not very pleasant or agreeable to re- 
ceive a hard blow on some tender part of the 
body from a wildly pitched ball, and it often 
affecto a player's hitting. It not infrequently 
develops an uncontrollable nervous fear, which 
often causes a man to shrink away from the 
l)late in spite of himself. The fear of being- 
hit has made many bad players of young men 
who otherwise might shine on the diamond. 
The change in the rules giving a batter his 
base when hit by a pitched ball has had a ten- 
dency to help many of the batters' averages. 

x8 




LAVE CROSS 
Third Baseman, Athletics 



Batting 

When a player takes his position at the 
plate he should wait patiently until the ball 
travels directly over the centre of the rubber. 
Do not lose sight of the ball from the time the 
pitcher starts to deliver. When he draws back 
his arm, take one short step and meet the ball 
just as it reaches the plate. Then hit out 
straight on a line to the field. From the grand 
stand it looks easy enough. To sit back of 
the catcher and see the balls coming over the 
plate the average spectator will wonder why 
they are not hit out of the field. But to the 
batter himself, they look altogether different. 
Since the pitchers have mastered a slow ball it 
is now more difficult for the batter to gauge 
the ball, as the pitcher will send a very swift 
ball and the very next time may deliver with 
the same motion a slow one which will hardly 
reach the plate. In this way the batter is 
kept guessing as to what to expect next. 

There are certain points in batting to be 
observed, especially in the matter of ''form," 
and while there are apparently many styles 
of hitting, to be successful it is necessary that 
they should all agree in this respect. The ele- 
ment of chance, or luck as it is called, enters 
largely into the question. The hardest and 
most difficult kinds of hits will often go into 
the waiting hands of a fielder, while a little 
punk or bunt will sometimes drop into safe 
territory. But in the long run chances of 
this kind will break even. 

The first element necessary for a successful 

zi 



How to Play Baseball 

batsman is to acquire the proper *'form/' This 
does not mean exactly the position to be 
assumed while waiting for the ball, because 
each batter may, and, as a rule, does, have his 
own peculiar distinctive style. This is notice- 
able with professional ball players, and many 
of them are recognized by this style when at 
the bat rather than by their features. 

When in the act of hitting there is a certain 
''form" which should be religiously observed. 
And this, in its salient points, is the same with 
all good batters. Standing within easy reach 
of the plate, the batter should hold himself 
in readiness to hit the ball which is best suited 
to himself. It is often more advantageous to 
the batter to let a strike be called on him than 
to take chances on hitting at a high ball when 
he would much prefer a low one. When the 
ball is pitched he should not move until he 
has seen where the ball is going. 

Do not step forward until you see the ball 
coming towards the plate, and then take a 
vshort step and directly towards the pitcher. 

When hitting the body should be held nearly 
straight ; just a sHght stoop, so that when the 
bat meets the ball the weight is principally on 
the forward foot. 

Too much care cannot be exercised by the 
batter when taking his position at the plate. 
It is impossible to change the position when 
once taken, and any slight miscalculation' he 
may have made in the speed or direction of 
the ball will operate against him, and he would 

22 




SCHRECKENGOST 

Catcher, Athletics 



Batting 

have no time to remedy the error of judgment. 
A short stride is important, for the reason that 
if any miscalculation has been made for speed 
or location of the ball he might be able to 
change his position, and a long stride would 
put him in such a position that no such change 
could possibly be made, and the batter would 
be at the mercy of the pitcher. 

It will also be found that a long stride will 
lose the batter all of the height and reach, and 
would necessarily force the man at the plate 
to hit at a high ball which he might otherwise 
have met on a line. The player who takes a 
long step naturally stoops down as he hits, and 
this fact would be a great disadvantage to him 
with high balls. 

The ball that would have been of fair height 
he would find would be over his head. The 
batter should generally step directly towards 
the pitcher, unless he has good reasons for 
doing otherwise, as, for example, if he is try- 
ing to hit in any particular part of the field. In 
that case he should step accordingly. 

A right-handed batter attempting to hit 
towards right field should stand at least eigh- 
teen inches from the plate, and before hitting 
should wait until the ball is directly over the 
home base, taking a short step toward the 
plate. By standing erect the batter is in better 
position to hit at any good ball, and is not so 
easily fooled on a slowly delivered ball. 

It is not necessary to hit hard in order to 
drive the ball a great distance. The secret lies 

25 



How to Play Baseball 

in meeting the ball with a quick and short 
snap, putting the whole weight of the shoulder 
just at the proper moment. There are some 
of the very best batters who hit entirely with 
the arms, w^hile others use principally the 
shoulder and simply push rather than swing. 
It is a great mistake to swing too hard at the 
ball. The effect is certain to take away that 
which is most required — that is, judgment of 
height, judgment and speed. 

If a player would remem-ber that it is much 
better to think of making single hits rather 
than attempt home runs, his batting average 
would materially improve, though now and 
then a player should attempt to put a little 
more force in hitting, especially if he finds the 
outfielders playing a rather short field. Some 
of the longest hitters on the diamond are men 
who seem to make the least effort. 

When swinging at a high ball the bat should 
be held in such a way as to bring it downward 
to hit the ball in such a manner as to send it 
on a line to the outfield. The ball should be 
met about six inches from the end of the bat. 
Should the ball strike a little further up or 
down on the centre line of the bat, or, if it does 
strike fairly on the centre line, it will still be 
thrown off toward first or third base on a line, 
and not up or down, as would otherwise be 
the case. In holding the bat, the hands should 
be kept slightly apart, but not so much so that 
it would interfere with an easy and free swing. 

After a short time the player will be better 

26 




*' CHICK'* ERASER 

Pitcher, Philadelphia (N. L.) Club 



Batting 

able to judge for himself how he should handle 
the bat, choosing his own peculiar style which 
comes most natural to him. 

When a sacrifice hit is needed the player 
should, by all means, have his hands fully three 
inches apart, and lean forward, waiting for a 
low ball, which can be better placed than a 
high ball. In picking out a high ball to sac- 
rifice, the batter is more liable to hit an infield 
fly. Too much attention cannot be given to 
sacrifice hitting, which is one of the first 
things a player should learn. Every ball 
player who pretends to play the game with 
his brains, as well as his arms and legs, should 
be able to hit in whatever direction he desires. 
A batter cannot always place the ball in any 
particular spot, but he can, with practice, hit 
into the right or left field at will. The advan- 
tage of this to a player and his team cannot 
be overestimated, and such players are valuable 
to any team. 

Confidence is one of the greatest factors 
in successful hitting. The player who faces 
the pitcher with timidity written all over his 
face is not only handicapped from the start, 
but he is already half out. On the other hand, 
the batter who does not feel any fear becomes 
inspired by his own confidence, and for that 
very reason is more liable to hit well. Enthu- 
siasm is another element in good batting. A 
player who loves to bat can be depended upon, 
when the pccasion requires his best efiforts. 
This is often the reason that batting is done 

29 



How to Play Baseball 

in streaks, and many players for a number of 
games will lose confidence in themselves and 
cannot hit the simplest kind of pitching. It is 
a fact that a whole team has failed to hit for 
eight innings, and then go in and bat out a 
victory. Some one player will start the ball 
rolling by lining out a clean hit, giving confi- 
dence to the next man, and so on down the line, 
until the game is won. To win a game of this 
kind gives confidence to the whole team, and 
when they take the field the next day, the pos- 
session of greater confidence is apparent. 

In order to be a good batsman, the player's 
eyesight must be perfect. No player can pos- 
sibly make a good batter who has had trouble 
with his eyes. It requires a quick, strong eye 
to keep track of the ball and tell when it is over 
the plate and at the right height for hitting. 
Nervousness, when at bat, is to be avoided, and 
the desire to hit at every ball pitched should 
also be avoided. By resisting the temptation 
to strike the first ball pitched, a player will 
gradually increase his confidence. A nervous 
player is easily ''worked'' by the pitcher, for 
the reason that he can hardly wait for the 
pitcher to deliver the ball. He thus throws 
himself open to be fooled by almost any 
pitcher. 

The most important attribute in the compo- 
sition of a good batter is courage. In this 
term, I include the self-control and the reso- 
lutions by which a player will force himself 
to stand before the swiftest and wildest pitch- 

30 



Batting 

ing without flinching, and the fearlessness 
that can contemplate the probability of a blow 
from the ball without allowing the judgment 
to be affected. As a rule, the poor batters are 
pla3^ers who are afraid of being hit. The 
player who has such fear will frequently get 
in the way of the ball, where the player with 
confidence will escape being hit. This is due 
to the fact that when he sees the ball coming 
towards him he will step directly to meet it. A 
first-class batter will not mind being hit now 
and then without having any tendency to fear 
the pitcher when called upon to take his turn 
at bat. The player who will stand at the 
plate in an easy position will seldom get hit, 
owing to his ability to move quickly. The 
player who sinks the spikes of his shoes deep 
into the ground cannot easily extract himself 
from that position should he find it necessary 
at any time. The batter's mind should be 
concentrated on the ball when he is at bat. This 
is not a difficult matter to some players, but 
to others a determined effort is necessary. 

The nerves must be taught and kept under 
control. To some this may seem an utter 
impossibility. Instinct of self-command is 
such a controlling power with them that they 
find themselves drawing away from the ball. 
Try as they may, they are not able to stand 
up to the plate. The player who cannot break 
himself of this habit will never amount to 
anything in the hitting line. 

In order to break yourself from stepping 

31 



How to Play Baseball 

away from the plate, throw the forward foot 
toward the plate, keeping the rear foot a little 
further away. Every style of batting should 
be tried before giving up entirely. Should you 
find it utterly impossible to overcome this 
weakness, you would do well to give up all 
thoughts of becoming a professional player. 



3* 



PITCHING 




THE pitching department is 
the most important on any 
team, and the pitcher is the 
central figure around 
which others are grouped. 
No matter how strong a 
team may be, it cannot 
make a good showing un- 
less the man in the pitcher's 
box possesses the requisite 
skill to mystify and deceive 
the opposing batsmen. A 
pitcher, after winning the 
game, has often lost it 
again through becoming rattled, thus while a 
man may be a little short of marvelous in 
pitching curves, drops or inshoots, his work 
is apt to become non-effective if he is not the 
possessor of a cool head and is not backed by 
a clever, wide-awake catcher, w^ho can put life 
into an otherwise mediocre nine. It is not, 
however, the catcher that is to be considered 
in the present article, but the pitcher, who, if 
he is first-class, is the master of all batters. 
He is not always the man who can deliver the 
swiftest ball that is the most effective. Speed 
is an admirable requisite, but to become a 
really first-class pitcher a knowledge of all 



33 



How to Play Baseball 

curves, change of pace, judgment of batting 
and a keen observance of conditions as they 
may exist at different times are necessary. 

Where formerly a fast ball was considered 
the most effective, the present up-to-date pitch- 
er must be able to vary his speed as conditions 
warrant. Speed should be practiced, but no 
attempt should be made to overdo it. With 
speedy balls should be mixed slow and curved 
ones. There is also a danger in a pitcher being 
too true ; that is to say, he puts too many balls 
over the plate, which gives the batsman greater 
confidence in facing them. When the batter 
knows that the ball will cleave the centre of 
the plate every time he will keep close up and 
will be able to gauge the delivery more accur- 
ately than if a ball is thrown close to the batter, 
w^hich will drive him away from the plate. This 
error is often apparent ^n young players, who 
use every endeavor to pitch every ball in a 
direct line. Avoid this and try and make the 
batter afraid of your delivery. 

To field his position is another necessity in 
a good pitcher. Should a pitcher be backward 
in this respect he should practice continually 
until he is able not only to catch the swiftest 
ball, but field the hardest kind of grounders. 
The pitcher is nearer the batter than any of 
the fielders, and as a result he has very little 
time to make up his mind what to do should the 
ball be driven in his direction. In this he must 
be quick to act, and until he learns to master 
the fielding problem he cannot be considered a 

34 



Pitching 

winning pitcher, more especially at the present 
time, when such great strides have been made 
in hitting, and where the bunt has been so suc- 
cessfully developed. 

Watching bases when any of the runners are 
on them is very important. It is a fact that a 
pitcher who can hold the base runners close to 
the base can be batted for double the number 
of hits and still have fewer runs caught ofif him 
than the pitcher who fails to hold his men safe. 

A pitcher should hold himself in a straight, 
upright position preparatory to throwing the 
ball. He should also throw with a quick, short 
snap. By so doing he can be depended upon 
to catch many men napping at first base. He 
should watch his catcher, who faces the field, 
and who can signal where and when the ball 
should be thrown. By proper attention to the 
man wearing the pad he can be saved many 
useless throws and frequently catch men off 
bases who otherwise would be safe. 

The pitcher should start for first the instant 
the ball is hit in this direction, providing it is 
not a long drive. The advantage of this is 
obvious. In the event of a fumble he will then 
have plenty of time to make the put-out. It is 
work of this kind that makes a pitcher the most 
valued member of a base-ball team. He should 
be ready for any emergency, and in a position 
to cover any base left vacant, so as to catch 
the runner between the bases. Strive to make 
the base as soon as possible, so as to be better 
able to return the ball. 

35 



How to Play Baseball 

Never fail to back up the catcher on all 
throws from the outfield to the plate. There 
are times, however, when it might be advisable 
to get in line in front of the catcher, to handle 
the ball, making the throw to second. Such 
an action can be prompted only by the condi- 
tions as they might exist. The catcher has 
full observation of the entire field, and should 
he find the throw will be ahead of the base 
runner he can readily instruct the pitcher to 
stand aside. 

Whenil^cking up a fielder take a position at 
a fair distance, say about 50 feet from the 
fielder, so as to be sure of the ball, and ready, 
prepared for any erratic bound. Many runs 
can be saved by this work. No ball player is 
perfect, and everyone is liable to commit an 
error at any stage of the game. It is to prevent 
as far as possible these errors being disastrous 
that the pitcher should always back up the in- 
fielders. 

A pitcher must always know just what to 
do with the ball when hit to him. Care should 
be taken to anticipate a play as far as possible. 
The pitcher should review the likelihood of 
diflferent plays, and when determined deliver 
the ball. Too much haste in this respect often 
results in a wild pitch. On the other hand, 
long delays are often dangerous. Do not pitch 
until you are ready, but when ready do not 
hesitate. Should any kind of failure follow 
any play, do not attempt to ofifer excuses, either 
to yourself or the captain of the team. If a 

36 



Pitching 

mistake is made it is too late to rectify it, and 
the proper course to pursue is to prevent, as 
far as possible, a recurrence of the bad play. 

When throwing to base do not attempt to 
hold the ball for any lengthy period. It is just 
as easy to put a man out when he is midway 
betw^n the bases as it is to draw a decision 
close. If by chance the fielder should drop the 
ball after being thrown to him, this will give 
him a better opportunity to recover it. It is 
far easier to avoid mistakes than to remedy 
them. )fc^ 

Poor support will often dishearten a pitcher. 
Remember that everyone has an off day, and 
while it is hard on a pitcher to suffer from lack 
of support when he is pitching in good form, it 
is the pitcher's duty to infuse spirit in the mem- 
bers of the team, and not give way to petty 
spite because of unavoidable accidents. Should 
any pitcher display a lazy, care-nothing dispo- 
sition the feeling often travels to the other 
members of the team. It is infectious, and he 
should show an aggressive spirit, which will 
invariably insure him the .best of support. 

The necessary qualities which go to make up 
a successful pitcher are as many as varied. Few 
pitchers possess all the qualifications, but the 
one that displays the greater number is always 
in demand. He can nearly always be depended 
upon, and will often pull a team out of a big 
hole. A pitcher with a sulky disposition will 
cause dissatisfaction with the other members of 
the team. First, the result of the game de- 

37 



How to Play Baseball 

pends upon the ability of the pitcher, and sec- 
ondly, upon the support given him. If the 
pitcher is equal to his task the second result 
will follow. . 

There is not a batter on the diamond that 
does not possess some particular weakness, and 
it is the duty of pitchers to study each man 
closely when he comes to bat. Should a batter 
be regarded as a great hitter, it is advisable to 
try different styles of delivery. In base-ball it 
is difficult for a man to secure a false or un- 
earned reputation. He must earn his laurels 
on the ball field by actual work, and not 
through judicious exploitation. The hit col- 
umn on the score card is the best and really 
only indication of a man's batting ability, and 
when the time arrives to face such a player the 
pitcher should step from one side of the rub- 
ber to the other, giving him a different kind 
of ball each time until his weakness has been 
found. Don't become discouraged should you 
fail to discover the weak spot at his first or 
second time at bat. Perseverance is the keynote 
of success in base-ball, as it is in everything 
else. The greatest need for the pitcher is en- 
durance. Many games have been lost through 
the pitcher's inability to stand the physical 
strain. Big, powerful men have a decided ad- 
vantage in this respect. It is a notorious fact 
that very few light men make first-class pitch- 
ers. There are exceptions, of course, and oc- 
casionally a really great pitcher has been found 
below the physical standard ordinarily set for 

38 



pitching 

pitchers. When this is the case the pitcher 
has depended upon an excellent assortment of 
curves and changes of pace and speed. Batters 
can be enticed to go after balls which they 
otherwise would not attempt to hit. A high 
fast ball around the neck is the most difficult 
ball to hit, and one which the batter will find 
the most tempting. They seldom fail to strike 
at it, and if they do manage to connect with it 
the result is a fly. A curved ball should start 
for the batter's shoulder, having a slight drop, 
and the batter will invariably hit such a ball 
into the air. 



p 



CATCHING 




VEN to the uninitiated the 
position of catcher on the 
basebaU field is a most im- 
portant one. In a large 
measure the effective work 
of the pitcher depends upon 
the man who wears the 
mask and chest protector. 
Many good pitchers have 
been spoiled by poor patch- 
ing, and hence you will in- 
variably see an old and ex- 
perienced catcher in the big 
leagues delegated to catch 
a young pitcher. If the latter has full and 
complete confidence in his team mate he is 
certain to do his best work, but otherwise he 
may prove an easy proposition to his opponents. 
Wild pitches are liable to occur at any time, 
but the danger of them proving disastrous is 
somewhat minimized by the good work of the 
catcher. 

The position is also the most dangerous on 
the nine. Were it not for this fact, it would 
be the most desirable. Ball players are human 
and they play superior ball under favorable 
conditions. They revel in applause and en- 
couragement, and the position of catcher gives 



How to Play Baseball 

the player more opportunities for showing his 
true worth in judgment and skill than the other 
members of the team. All players desire to 
figure in the most important plays on the field, 
and in this respect the man with the mask is the 
same as the rest of the players, and he likes 
to occupy the position of honor when the op- 
portunity presents itself. 

The catcher's work always shows for itself, 
and is usually more appreciated than that of 
any other player. Some catchers are always 
trying to make their work as easy as possible, 
and at the same time impress upon those near 
them that they are not playing for themselves. 
1 nese men prove a big handicap to their teams, 
and are looked upon as individual players. The 
catcher who is imbued with the desire to win 
everything and anything can usually be de- 
pended upon under almost any conditions. If 
a catcher has nothing but victory before him he 
will take desperate chances, and should he fail 
in the play, his fellow players are always ready 
to pat him on the back. Such a player will help 
the team to win championship honors. 

A good, aggressive, intelligent catcher is of 
more value to a nine than any other single 
player. He has practically the control of the 
entire team and of the situation. He stands 
facing every player on the field, consequently 
he is in a position to direct movements that 
might be lost to the captain. Should he find 
his field is playing close in to the line he will 
be careful not to give the signal for such a 

42 



Catching 

ball as should under ordinary conditions be 
hit into the territory. He can watch every 
play, advise the players, and lend his captain 
invaluable assistance. 

A tall, active catcher has many advantages. 
By reason of his long reach he is able to reduce 
the number of wild pitches and stop many balls 
which with a shorter man would escape the 
clutches of the catcher. A pitcher always pre- 
fers a tall catcher to a short one. Not only 
is this advantageous to the pitcher on account 
of the ability of the catcher to reach the ball, 
but it gives him greater confidence, inasmuch 
as he is given a bigger mark behind the plate 
to throw at. A pitcher will usually throw 
swifter and dish up a greater variety of balls 
if he is backed up by a big, efficient catcher. 

Weight is also an important factor in block- 
ing a base runner. In case of a collision, a 
heavy catcher will have the greater advantage 
with desperate base runners. It will require a 
considerable amount of nerve on the part of a 
runner to tackle a heavy catcher, and this also 
carries advantages, as the catcher will throw 
his knees well forward, making it very difficult 
for the runner to score. The heavier the 
catcher is the less" will be his chances of injury 
in such a case. 

Grit is a necessary attribute in a catcher. 
He is called upon to face almost every kind of 
ball thrown, and the necessary stamina to en- 
able a catcher to keep up with his work day 
after day is a severe strain. No catcher should 

43 



How to Play Baseball 

attempt to escape a speedy pitcher. Sooner or 
later he must face them, and, Hke every other 
position, that of catcher requires as much ex- 
perience as possible to perfect the individual 
for the position, and he will find himself greatly 
benefited by handling the hardest kind of 
balls thrown by pitchers. Should he confine 
himself to occasional work he will find it diffi- 
cult to withstand the strain, but with constant 
practice he will find his work come much easier. 
Hard and conscientious practice is absolutely 
necessary. This is shown by the players who 
have not caught for a week. Often you will 
find them when in this condition dropping 
many balls during a game. Their hands be- 
come soft, and they lose sight of the ball, hence 
you will find the catchers working hard, even 
when they are not to catch for a couple of days. 
The ideal catcher must not only be able to stop 
the balls, but he must be an accurate thrower, 
quick of wit, and taking every opportunity of 
any play that may come up during a game. 
The uselessness of a catcher who is not an 
accurate thrower is apparent to every student 
of the game. He must watch his bases closely, 
and should any of the opposing runners at- 
tempt to steal on him he should be ready to 
send the ball directly over the base and at a 
height that will enable the fielder to score a 
put out without reaching several feet or run- 
ning ofif the base to reach the throw. Wild 
throws by the catcher have been responsible for 
the loss of many games, therefore when a 

44 



Catching 

young player is practicing it is well for him to 
remember that he is improving himself in al- 
ways trying to throw straight. 

Head work counts behind the bat. While a 
backstop may not be wonderful in handling the 
balls neatly, yet with a good head he may, in a 
great measure, overcome this deficiency, and 
on account of his great generalship and head- 
work will be recognized as a winning player. 
It is impossible for an individual to combine all 
these qualities, but it is well to possess as many 
of them as possible. 

Signaling is an art acquired by only a few. 
I mean by that, the use of a set of signals which 
will defy detection. Few of the best catchers 
use the same set of signals, and many of them 
change them during the season. Many of 
them in signalling to the pitcher use the finger 
signs, which are as follows : One for a curve, 
and two for a straight ball. When signals are 
used, no matter what kind, always be sure to 
keep the knees close together, that the coachers 
on either side of the line will be unable to de- 
tect them. Always change your signs when a 
runner occupies second base, as he will be in a 
splendid position to detect any kind of signs or 
signals. 

The first duty of a young player who desires 
to become a catcher is to acquire a correct 
style. This does not mean mannerisms or 
anything of the kind, but an approved position 
of the body, feet and hands, the best manner 
of catching a ball, the proper place to stand, 

45 



How to Play Baseball 

how to throw safely and quickly, and the best 
motion for throwing. The object of this is to 
accompHsh the best results wnth the least effort. 
This should be followed by a study of the dif- 
ferent points at play. There are many styles 
of play, but throughout there is a certain re- 
semblance in all which may be generalized. 
When a catcher takes his position he should 
assume a stooping posture. The body should 
be well bent forward from the hips, so as to 
enable the player to handle the ball at any 
height. Crouching to the ground should be 
avoided, as a player who insists on so doing 
will never become a first-class catcher. An 
easy position should be assum_ed as far as pos- 
sible. Where the catcher crouches he is un- 
able to control the erratic flight of the ball. 
Energy is a necessity in a good base-ball play- 
er's make-up, but much of it is thrown use- 
lessly away by some players who make more 
work than is necessary for themselves. Not 
only is it inadvisable to create work from a 
physical standpoint, but it invariably results in 
something akin to disaster for the catcher's 
team in the loss of runs. 

A catcher should keep his feet close together, 
not more than 12 inches should separate them. 
It is a notorious fact that many catchers disre- 
gard this rule, but this is a serious mistake, 
and a little reflection will readily convince the 
player of this. While in such a position he 
cannot change his position and handle the ball 
as quickly as though he kept his feet closer to- 

46 



Catching 

gether. He is deprived of that agility which 
all good catchers must have. On low pitched 
balls he is greatly handicapped, as in such a 
case it is necessary to have the feet together to 
assist the hands. Should his feet be spread 
out, the catcher will find it next to impossible 
to stop the ball. Upon the face, these matters 
may appear of minor importance, but it is 
their observance which often draws that line of 
distinction between a first-class and an ordi- 
nary catcher. It is always advantageous to 
the catcher to be seen at his best. As I have 
already pointed out, a good catcher never for- 
gets he is behind the plate and has his mind 
centered on everything that is going on during 
the game. He must be alert to every situation, 
ready for any emergency and reliable under 
all conditions. 

A complete understanding should exist be- 
tween the catcher and pitcher. The catcher 
should stand directly behind the plate, and after 
giving the pitcher the sign for the style of ball 
wanted he should place his hands upon his 
knees or directly in front of him. This is done 
to keep the batter guessing as to the kind of 
ball to expect. Many batters watch the catcher 
closely to see what position he settles himself 
in before the ball is delivered. Some of them 
can by so doing anticipate the ball and be pre- 
pared for a curve or straight delivery. It is 
not to be supposed that each batter can foretell 
the ball by this means, but long experience will 
materially aid the latter in this respect, and 

47 



How to Play Baseball 

he will be able to help his batting average by 
this trick. It is to prevent the possibility of 
this that it is advisable for the catcher to keep 
his hands on his icnees o^Jli?^ -front of him. 

If the catcher is in a proper position he can 
always change to another after the pitcher is 
about to"deliver the b»lL^ He can then step in 
or out as the occasion.^»ay demand, and the 
batter has not time for a side glance when the 
pitcher is in motion. His mind must be cen- 
tered on the white sphere which ?ie knows will 
soon be spinning in the neighborhood of the 
plate, and any diversion of his mind w411 result 
in a strike being called on him. 

Some catchers in throwing to the bases do so 
with scarcely a perceptible move. The advan- 
tage of this is obvious. They get the ball av/ay 
quickly, and as a rule are very accurate. These 
men do not as a rule last long. The strain is 
so severe that the arm will give out. Very few 
catchers will throw this way. The amount of 
physical exertion necessarily handicaps many 
of the catchers in this respect. 

Throwing to bases is very important to the 
catching department. The secret of success of 
the first-class catchers is not so much their 
ability to handle the ball safely, but to get it 
to the bases promptly to hold or -catch a man 
trying to steal. This needs lots of practice, 
and when not actually working behind the 
plate young players would do well to practice 
the work. Here again is the possibility of 
overdoing it. The catcher's arm is in no way 

48 



Catching 

different to that of any other member of the 
team, and is hable to give out at any time, thus 
removing him from his sphere of usefulness 
for a time. In throwing to bases a catcher 
should be in a position to receive the ball on 
his right side. When in the act of catching 
the ball take one short step with the left foot, 
and in throwing the ball send it straight from 
the shoulder without drawing the arm too far 
back. 

While the catcher may not get the greatest 
amount of speed by such a throw, he will more 
than compensate for this by catching more base 
runners than the catcher whose swing is longer 
and more labored. The time consumed to 
draw the arm back and gather the energy suffi- 
cient to propel the ball at a high rate of speed 
is more than the difference in the actual travel- 
ing time of the ball between the catcher and 
fielder. 

When throwing a great distance the ball 
should be thrown overhand. This insures a 
long and sure throw ; but when throwing to 
first and third bases a snap throw can be used 
to greater advantage. To make an accurate 
throw the arm must be in good position. 

Many young players labor under the impres- 
sion that a stiff arm is desired. This is a mis- 
take, as it not only tends to injure the hands, 
but renders it difficult to hold the ball properly. 
The arm should be kept free, with the muscles 
relaxed, so as to give with the ball when in the 
act of catching. By meeting the ball with a 

4 49 



How to Play Baseball 

stiff jolt the Strain is considerably greater on 
the catcher than when the hands are gradually 
drawn back to break the force of the throw. 
The hands must be kept in good condition and 
are liable to give out at any time ; therefore it is 
advisable to take as few chances of having 
them crippled as possible. 

It requires considerable time and practice to 
become expert in handling foul flies. A player 
in the outfield can watch and gauge the flight 
of the ball from the time it leaves the batter's 
stick until it is caught. With the catcher this 
is different. In nearly every case the ball is 
hit in such a direction as to fall behind him, 
and he has very little time to decide upon the 
course he intends to take. Some good practice 
and experience can be gained by having a 
player hit the ball straight up in the air. The 
catcher should stand up close behind, just the 
same as in an actual game. Another point that 
is well worthy of consideration is a study of 
the direction of the wind. Often a ball that is 
hit straight in the air will be carried many 
yards during its descent by a strong wind. 
Many catchers are guilty of misjudging the 
ball on account of the high wind. 

One very important point in advice to 
catchers is guarding the home plate from base 
runners coming home. There is a wide differ- 
ence of opinion as to the best place for a catcher 
to stand when waiting for the throw to cut off 
the runner. Some catchers stand a few feet 
back of the line and near the plate, claiming 

50 



Catching 

that in this way the runner is prevented from 
sliding around them. The proper place for a 
catcher when waiting for such a play is in front 
of the plate and a couple of feet toward third 
base. From this position he can handle the 
ball with greater facility and minimize the 
chances of his man dodging. 

When a runner slides feet first and throws 
his body on one side it is a good rule to get the 
arms as close to the ground as possible. Fear- 
lessness is essential in a catcher's make-up. He 
must be ready for all plays, resourceful in the 
extreme, and alive to every situation on the 
ball field. 



51 



FIRST BASE 

Up to recently first base was considered an 
easy position to play. By many it is still 
thought to be one of the easiest positions on the 
ball field. This feeling is due to the fact that 
the first baseman is supposed to do nothing but 
catch thrown balls. This was in a measure 
true a few years ago, when the game was not 
surrounded with the scientific elements which 
govern it to-day. When the underhand throw 
was in vogue, and the scores often amounted to 
the century mark in a game, the first baseman's 
job was a sinecure. The gradual improvement 
of the game has necessarily resulted in mak- 
ing the first base one of the mo. t difficult posi- 
tions on the ball field to fill. 

Each succeeding year witnesses the introduc- 
tion of a variety of plays, and as some of them 
are good it requires a player of great discrimi- 
nation to determine which of the new plays 
are adapted to his style of fielding and those 
likely to prove the most effective. What is 
true of the catcher is equally so of the initial 
baseman. He must watch carefully all plays, 
as perhaps 50 per cent, of the batted balls 
are returned to first base. Should the catcher 
drop the third strike, the first baseman must 
run up to meet the ball, as in this way he would 
not only be in a position to touch the runner 
trying to reach first, but would also be in a po- 

53 



How to Play Baseball 

sition to cut off the runner from second or third 
base, should either of them be occupied. 

It 'S always advisable for a first baseman to 
cut off the player from third in preference to 
the runner trying to reach first. Many players 
are too anxious, and instead of making sure of 
the man coming home they will try for a dou- 
ble play. This often results in the failure to 
put either man out. It is always best to be sure 
of one man. Double plays are of immense value 
in any game, and should be encouraged at all 
times, but there are exceptions, when such a 
play is dangerous, and in such a case it is well 
to remember that one out is better than none 
at all. 

In the introductory chapter on the duties of 
the first baseman particular stress was laid 
upon the importance of the position as played 
to-day compared with that of a few years ago. 
Attention was also paid to his general work 
and the necessity of a close observation of the 
work of the batter. In this latter respect the 
first baseman must be particularly alive, as the 
majority of batted balls are returned to him. 
On ground balls, with the bases vacant, the 
man covering the initial bag should play a deep 
field, depending upon his pitcher to cover the 
base for hits within the actual diamond. By 
so doing it will give him an opportunity to 
stop what otherwise would be a safe hit. In 
this event he should use excellent judgment in 
throwing the ball to the pitcher, who covers the 
base. As is mostly the case, the first baseman 

54 



First Base 

has an abundance of time to throw the ball to 
first base, and he should not attempt to throw it 
hard from a distance, but wait until he is with- 
in a few yards of the base, and then toss the 
ball underhand, which enables the pitcher to 
catch it. An overhand throw from a short dis- 
tance is often puzzling and difficult for the 
player to handle. 

When a runner is occupying first base, with 
no one out, the first baseman should watch the 
batter closely. He should endeavor to watch 
just exactly what play is intended, and in the 
event of an attempt to bunt towards first base 
by the batter, he should take the chance of run- 
ning in so as to secure the ball and cut ofif the 
runner at second instead of putting the man 
out at first. This will prevent the sacrifice and 
often enable him to accomplish a double play. 
This is acknowledged by all ball players to be 
one of the most important plays. All the first- 
class first basemen follow this plan, and it sel- 
dom fails to work, for, in addition to depriving 
the Letter of a sacrifice hit, the play invariably 
disposes of a much-needed run. When such a 
play is being made it is bad policy to hurry. 
When the first baseman secures the ball he 
should face the second base and pause momen- 
tarily so as to be sure of a true throw. The 
second baseman or shortstop is certain to be 
at the bag waiting for the throw. After the 
ball has left his hands the player should re- 
turn to his position at first so as to complete 
a double play, if possible. This does not apply 

55 



• How to Play Baseball 

to the case where the question of securing the 
runner to second is problematical. Always be 
sure of your man, giving the leading base-run- 
ner the closest attention. 

A player covering first base should be an 
expert in handling low-thrown balls. Often it 
becomes necessary to make a clean pick-up to 
enable the player to secure a put-out. It can 
be readily seen that unless the man covering the 
initial bag is proficient in this particular depart- 
ment of the game, he will often fail to make 
the necessary play. A long reach is advan- 
tageous in this respect, also in stopping what, 
under other conditions, would be a wild throw. 

Many of the most famous first basemen have 
been favored with a phenomenally long reach. 
This enables a player to step forward or side- 
wise and reach the ball while- keeping one foot 
on the bag. In the case of a man of short stat- 
ure playing this position, he would often be 
compelled to jump high in the air or leave the 
bag temporarily while he went after balls which 
could be easily secured by a man with a longer 
reach with little apparent effort. 

The fielder is not always able to gauge ac- 
curately the throws^ and the ball is liable to be 
thrown either one side or other of the base. To 
be certain of handling the sphere it is advisable 
for the player to stand with both feet in front 
of the base, so that he can readily change his 
position to suit the direction from which the 
ball may be coming. It is good practice for a 
plaver to reach as far as possible for every ball 

56 



First Base 

thrown him. Many players who will wait for 
the ball to come to them without going after it 
will often lose a put-out. A first baseman must 
also be good on foul flies, as a man fielding 
that position is often called upon to handle the 
most difficult kind. 

Often the first baseman is called upon to 
handle the flies that belong to the catcher and 
pitcher. To do so successfully he must be a 
very speedy runner. The hardest kind of flies 
to judge accurately are those that take an al- 
most perpendicular direction. 

It is well to remember that, in fielding the 
first base position, to be always on the alert, 
watch carefully the batter, and to go after 
the ball rather than wait for it to come to the 
player. 



a? 



SECOND BASE 

Second base is considered the most satis- 
factory and desirable position to play in the 
entire infield. Ball players, like all professional 
people, do their best work under the stimulat- 
ing efifects of liberal applause, and, as the sec- 
ond base position carries with it a larger terri- 
tory to cover, it necessarily follows that the 
player has more opportunities to distinguish 
himself in this position by making brilliant 
plays than in any of the other positions in the 
infield. It can readily be imagined that the sec- 
ond baseman should be the possessor of a cool 
head, as much depends upon him giving sig- 
nals to the various players, which duty falls 
upon him when the bases are occupied by base- 
runners. 

With a man on first and third base, the sec- 
ond baseman should signal the catcher for a 
long or short throw, as the case warrants. The 
shortstop should then be given the sign as to 
the style of throw to be made, and who should 
cover the second bag. This play has caused 
more discussion and opened up more criticism 
among the players and experts than any other. 
It can be played in many ways, and with vary- 
ing success. Some of the best second basemen 
on the diamond make the play themselves, al- 
ways signalling the catcher for the long throw, 
and always being in a position to run in and 

59 



How to Play Baseball 

take the ball in the event of a base-runner on 
third attempting to score. Many players have 
been very successful in this style of play, which 
can only be executed after considerable experi- 
ence on the diamond. 

Nearly every ball player filling the position 
of second baseman has his own ideas as to the 
way the position should be played. This, un- 
fortunately, is noticeable among the amateur 
players, and to prove the force of this argument 
it would be well for all young second basemen 
to watch carefully and study the different plays 
of the first-class players in the big leagues. By 
this means they will be able not only to judge 
for themselves as to the effectiveness of this 
play, but they will be enabled to derive the 
necessary experience for the execution of it. 

The actual work of the second baseman does 
not appear on the surface. I explained the du- 
ties of the player covering the second base and 
the difference of opinion as to how certain 
plays should be made. There is one thing cer- 
tain, with men on bases the second baseman 
must be alive to every situation and ready for 
any play. New tricks and plays are being in- 
vented on the ball field nearly every day, and 
no opportunity is being lost to take advantage 
of any opening that presents itself. The ques- 
tion whether under certain conditions the 
shortstop or second baseman should cover the 
base IS open to controversy, but there are cer- 
tain plays universally recognized by all first- 
class players playing the second base position, 

60 



Second Base 

Frequently a runner, after reaching first 
base, with a man on third, will be sent to sec- 
ond with the understanding that the batter 
will make no effort to connect with the ball. 
In this case the shortstop should always cover 
second, and the second baseman should take 
up a position in front of the base just as soon 
as the ball is pitched. Should the man on third 
start for home when the ball is thrown to catch 
the runner at second, he will be in a good posi- 
tion to head the runner oflf. In the event of the 
man on third not attempting to reach home, the 
second baseman will be able to stand aside and 
permit the shortstop to take the throw and 
catch the man trying to reach second. This 
play is invariably made with the object of al- 
lowing the runner on third to take the chance 
of scoring. When the team is not hitting well 
or a weak batter is up and two men out this 
is often a good play, and the man on third 
will often score. 

Quick judgment is required on nearly all 
the plays. With a runner on first and the ball 
hit into his territory the second baseman must 
decide as to what play he will make while the 
ball is coming in his direction. With no one, 
or, possibly, one man, out, the player should 
always try for a double play. 

Many players place themselves in front of a 
runner with the object of forcing him back 
towards first, always throwing the ball to 
the first baseman, thus catching the batter. 
The first baseman then returns the ball to 

6i 



How to Play Baseball 

second, heading off the runner, thus accom- 
pHshing a double play. The best plan is to 
throw the ball to second base and afterwards 
to first. A ball that is hit with speed and is 
fielded properly will invariably result in a 
double play if this plan is closely followed. 

One of the most important points in playing 
the second base is the position where to stand. 
In touching a runner from first on a throw 
from the catcher, the fielder should stand just 
inside of the line, say, two or three feet from 
the base. Should the base runner be one of the 
kind that makes it a practice of sliding or div- 
ing head first, it is advisable to play behind the 
line. In this case there would be little chance 
of the runner being hit by the throw from the 
catcher and could easily be touched by the sec- 
ond baseman. In making this play he deter- 
mines beforehand in each instance from his 
knowledge of the habits of opposing players. 
While playing inside of the line the fielder is 
not only in as good a position to touch the 
runner, but is often able to help the catcher out 
on short throws, making the pick-up and thus 
accomplishing the put-out, which otherwise he 
might fail to do. 

The recent development of the science of 
place hits has rendered it advisable to play for 
the batter alone. With the runner on first he 
should sign to the shortstop to cover the base. 
The understanding on this particular play be- 
tween the second baseman and shortstop is 
reached by having signals, which are usually 

62 



Second Base 

given by the second baseman. It is as well 
that the catcher should know these signals, so 
that he can make allowance for his throw, 
which is generally made to the side of the base 
that the player is coming from. 

It will often be found good policy to so ad- 
just the plans that the player who covers sec- 
ond base on the throw should start out towards 
the field, so as to create the impression that he 
intends fielding deep. The other player should 
play close to the base and just prior to the de- 
livery of the ball by the pitcher the two fielders 
can make the change so as to complete the de- 
ception and keep the batters guessing as to 
what to expect next. The batter is always on 
the lookout as to who will cover the base, and 
the repeated change of this play should be made 
which will mislead the batter. 

A second baseman should be well equipped 
in every respect for his position. He should 
have a series of signals with the catcher, so 
that in the event of the base-runner taking a 
big lead, it will be possible to catch him nap- 
ping. As players are given to taking all kinds 
of chances when on base this opportunity often 
presents itself. It is also necessary for the 
pitcher to know when this play is to be made, 
so that he will pitch the ball where the batter 
cannot possibly hit it. 

The object of all fielders is to mislead the 
batter and base-runners as to their actual in- 
tentions. To throw the runner ofif and cloak 
the real object of the play the second baseman 

63 



How to Play Baseball 

should pay no apparent attention to the runner 
until the ball is actually on its way from the 
catcher's hand. This offers the opportunity. 
With the eyes of the runner and the coaches on 
the ball the fielder should make his run for the 
base. In so doing he should move quickly and 
surely and be sure that he does not overrun 
the base. 

When the ball is hit to second base the player 
should always run in to meet the ball, so that 
in case of a fumble he will be in a position to 
recover the ball in time and save himself an 
error. An exception, however, should be made 
on all hard hits, as in such a case there would 
be no necessitv to run in after the ball. 

As is well known, the second baseman is 
compelled to handle a great many fly-balls. 
Many of these are of the most difficult char- 
acter. In some cases he must travel far out 
into the territory of the centre and right field, 
and at others he must run in almost to the 
pitcher. In all of these cases there is always 
the danger of a collision. To avoid this he 
should call out loudly to the nearest fielder 
that he ''will take the ball." The player is al- 
ways in the best position to judge whether he 
can get the ball, and on no account should he 
call to any other player by name. The two 
men who start after the ball are in the best po- 
sition to decide for themselves, and the first 
man calling ''I will take it'' should be the one 
to do so. It is unnecessary for the other player 
to make any reply. In all games it is under- 

64 



Second Base 

stood that a player is reasonably sure of reach- 
ing the ball before he shouts to his fellow field- 
er. Unless this is done both players may stop 
running, each relying on the other, and, as a 
result, the ball will drop safe between the pair. 

It is surprising how often the captain on a 
ball field is blamed for errors of omission and 
commission. In nine cases out of ten the 
spectators will throw the onus of blame on 
the shoulders of the captain without any ap- 
parent reason. This, on the face of it, is un- 
fair to the captain, unless he be an actual par- 
ticipant in the misplay. It is often noticed that 
whenever a ball should happen to drop between 
two players the captain is accused of some 
form of neglect in permitting it. With a per- 
fect understanding between the tw^o fielders, 
however, this should not happen, and if by 
chance it should be so, it is manifestly unjust 
to blame the captain for it. 

This is in line with the advisability on the 
part of two players running after the same ball 
for one to call out loudly, ''I have got it!" It 
must be apparent to everyone that if a player 
is really anxious to make the put-out he will 
call out to avoid the possibility of an error or 
of a collision, which often results in failure to 
do so. 

An experienced fielder can tell almost to a 
certainty in time to call whether he can reach 
the hit or not, and no matter how difficult the 
catch may be, he should unhesitatingly make 
the attempt. It does not follow that, should he 

4 ^5 



How lo Play Baseball 

find he is unable to reach the ball, he should 
continue to run for it with the risk of colliding 
with another player. At any rate, he should 
start after the ball, and if nobody else makes 
an attempt he should continue until he reaches 
it and returns it to the part of the diamond 
where it will do the most good. 

Unless absolutely confident of being able to 
reach the ball, the player should not call out 
that the ball is his. On all difficult plays it is 
advisable to wait until he is near the ball before 
calling, thus giving some other player a chance 
to call who could make the play much easier. 

A strict observance of this rule will reduce 
the chances of collisions between fielders to a 
minimum and avoid many stupid plays where 
two fielders allow a ball to drop between them 
untouched through a failure to call out in time 
to warn the other player. 



66 



SHORTSTOP 




THE position of shortstop 
should be filled by an excep- 
tionally active player. This 
means a man who is not only 
speedy on his feet, but who 
can start quickly and stop 
promptly. He must also be 
a strong thrower. This lat- 
ter point is a very valuable 
one, inasmuch as the strong- 
er he is in throwing the ball 
the deeper field he can play. 
A shortstop must cover a 
deal of territory, and while 
his position does not place him in charge of 
a base, he must always be on the lookout to 
cover the second or third bag in case of neces- 
sity. When fielding to the right, he not only 
hcc3 the longest throw of any of the infielders, 
but must throw quickly and accurately. It is 
well for the shortstop to get properly settled 
and steadied after taking the ball. This will 
enable a player not only to put all his speed 
in the throw, but will aid him materially in 
sending the ball accurately into the hands of 
the player for whom it is intended. 

No player, no matter how good he may be, 
is able to throw a ball accurately everv time 

67 



How to Play Baseball 

he tries, and In view of this it is advisable for 
the shortstop to throw the ball as quickly as 
possible, so that should the ball go wide of the 
baseman to whom it is thrown he would have 
ample time to step out after it and get back to 
his position in time to reach the batter before 
the latter reaches his base. Since the institu- 
tion of the "run-and-hit'' game the position of 
shortstop has become much harder to fill. Many 
players in the major Leagues are very success- 
ful at this kind of play, and it requires all the 
attention and ingenuity of a shortstop to meet 
the requirements of this play, which has be- 
come so successful. With a man on first and 
the shortstop covering second on the throw 
from the catcher, the batter will often attempt 
to hit to the territory left vacant by the short- 
stop, and it is for plays of this character that 
the fielder must be on his guard. In these cases 
he will often be compelled to take the ball on a 
dead run, and it thus requires a very quick 
man to recover himself in time to throw the ball 
to first base in time to secure the put-out. Nor 
is this all. The batters watch the fielders just 
as much as the men covering the bases, and 
the outfield watch every movement of the bat- 
ter, and they are not slow to take advantage of 
any opening that may present itself. 

When covering the shortstop position the 
fielder, with a runner on first and a base hit 
made to right field, must watch the runner leav- 
ing first base, as he will invariably try to reach 
the third bag on the hit, while the batter will 

68 



Shortstop 

often make the attempt to turn the single into 
a two-bagger by keeping on to second base 
instead of resting at first. The throw is al- 
ways made to third base to catch the leading 
man, and it is here where considerable judg- 
ment must be exercised and the shortstop 
guided by the conditions. Should, in the opin- 
ion of the shortstop, the throw fail to catch the 
man at third, he should, instead of backing up 
the third baseman, advance to the front of that 
fielder and take the throw on the line between 
the two bases, and while the leading runner 
may reach third safely, this play will often re- 
sult in catching the man who batted the ball at 
second. 

In deciding upon the necessity of this play 
it is advisable to gauge the ability of the run- 
ner as well as the batter, and the play should 
be decided upon as soon as first base is occu- 
pied ; all, then, that will be necessary will be to 
decide how hard the ball has been hit. Should 
it be that the fielder can handle the ball quickly, 
the shortstop should be at once prepared to 
back up the throw at third base. Should, how- 
ever, the ball be hit slowly to outfield, it is ad- 
visable to try and catch the man at second. A 
long single is often turned into a double and 
at times to a triple by the failure of the short- 
stop to determine upon his play. 

The shortstop position offers many oppor- 
tunities for the player to distinguish himself, 
provided he is quick at starting and is good 
at handling fly balls, and it is here the good 

69 



How lo Play Baseball 

player proves his worth over an inferior one, as 
he will succeed in not only making very many 
brilliant stops and plays, but will often suc- 
ceed in taking fly balls where a slower man 
would not be able to cover the ground in time 
to reach the ball in the air. It must not be 
forgotten that a player must be as certain as 
possible in all his movements. He should be 
careful not to attempt to throw the ball until 
he is perfectly ready to do so. Many misplays 
are made through over-anxiety, and players are 
anxious to get the ball to the bases or home 
plate before they have a proper hold on it, and 
as a result a wild throw or fumble follows. 

Many base-ball games are lost through the 
inability of the shortstop to reach the line be- 
tween the left fielder and third baseman, so as 
to make the catch. Many flies drop into this 
territory, and to reach them the fielder often is 
compelled to travel quite a distance. It is the 
determined efforts of the shortstop to make 
these plays that stamp him an unusually strong 
man for a team, and will often succeed in help- 
ing his club out of many dangerous predica- 
ments. 

On all balls thrown from left field to second 
base he should cover that position, allowing the 
second baseman to do the backing up. In this 
instance it is much easier and, for that matter, 
safer for the shortstop to take the throw than 
the second baseman. A shortstop is always 
called upon to take part in the play when a run- 
ner is caught between the bases. He should al- 

70 



Shortstop 

ternate with the baseman in running down the 
player between the bases, and the shortstop 
must be prepared for this whether the attempt 
is made by the. runner to go from first to sec- 
ond or second to third. Preservation of energy 
is desirable. It is bad policy to make any more 
throws than possible when a player is caught 
between the bases, and, in addition, it mini- 
mizes the chances of losing the man. The 
proper way is to start on a dead run. This 
sends the runner at full speed. The ball is 
then thrown quickly to the fielder in front of 
the runner. The man receiving the ball can 
start to run as soon as the throw is made. By 
so doing nine times out of ten he will be able 
to catch his man. It often occurs that sev- 
eral players will attempt to get into a play of 
this kind. This is wrong. Three, and at the 
outside four, is sufficient, as a greater number 
will get into each other's way, thus blocking a 
play and handicapping the other players. One 
thing in particular should be avoided, that is, 
permitting the play to take place in the vicinity 
of the base nearest the home plate. Should the 
ball be dropped there is very little opportunity 
of recovering it in time to catch the runner at 
the advanced base ; but force him to return to 
that from which he started, and thus rob him 
of the base he tried to win. 

It must not be supposed that the shortstop 
position differs in any material respect to those 
of first, second and third bases. While it is 
true the shortstop has no particular base to 

71 



How to Play Baseball 

cover, yet he must be prepared to cover either 
second or third, as occasion requires. In view 
of this it is essential that he should know 
thoroughly the system of signals between the 
catcher and first and second baseman, so that 
in the event of the ball being thrown to either 
base he will be able to back up the play without 
waiting to see in what direction the sphere is to 
be thrown. In this way he is in a position to 
save what would often prove a wild throw. 

It is advisable for him to have a series of 
signals that will work to advantage in catching 
a runner off second base. These should be 
known by the pitcher as well as the catcher. 
In this case the throw can be made direct to 
him without any consideration for the second 
baseman. Owing to the distance of the second 
baseman and shortstop, runners will take great- 
er liberties when on second base than on any 
other base. Where they may take two yards 
from first or third, they will risk twice that 
distance when on second, hence the necessity 
of having a special set of signals with the pitch- 
er and catcher. 

On all long hits to centre and left field he 
should play well out in the field, taking the 
throw, which is often necessary to do to hasten 
it to the home plate or one of the bases. In 
fact, he is what might be termed a utility man. 
His province is to help every player when the 
opportunity presents itself, and as he has no 
base to cover, he is in a better position to do so 
than any other player- 

72 



THIRD BASE 




IN previous chapters the diffi- 
culties attending the play 
ing of different infield posi 
tions have been pointed 
out ; the advantages of cer- 
tain plays and the most ef- 
fective means of filling the 
infield positions fully ex- 
plained. The third base has 
always been considered as 
the most difficult position 
on the diamond to play. 
And while it is true that 
there are so many obstacles 
to overcome in covering third base, it is doubt- 
ful whether any other position in the infield can 
be so well simplified by first-class men. This 
is true also with the other positions. It is a 
well-known and acknowledged fact that a fin- 
ished artist and accomplished professional man 
or a well-trained mechanic can, by care and 
attention, make his work much lighter than 
it otherwise would be. 

Nearly every club in the major Leagues to- 
day is careful in the selection of a third base- 
man. The player at once learns who are the 
hunters on the different clubs, and what play- 
ers make a practice of hitting the ball into 



73 



How to Play Baseball 

his territory. When he has thoroughly mas- 
tered these points, he should watch every move 
the batters may make, so as to find a cue in 
anticipating the batter's intention. As it has 
been pointed out before, all batters have their 
peculiarities, and by carefully v^atching these 
batters a third baseman may not only save him- 
self a lot of trouble, but is often able to rob a 
batter of what otherwise might be a safe hit. 

With a man on first base and no one out, he 
should always be prepared for a bunt, except 
in the case where more than one run is needed. 
In this latter case, it largely depends upon how 
good a hunter is at the bat, and whether or 
not he is a fast runner. 

To the third baseman, the hardest problem 
that he has to contend with is a batter who has 
the art of bunting down fine and who is a 
speedy runner. This class of batsmen are in- 
variably among the best of the team and need 
more watching than any other. Not only can 
they place the ball with wonderful precision 
and regularity, but they will often take desper- 
ate chances and succeed in making a safe hit 
where, under other conditions, a put-out might 
be effected. It is not infrequent that these bat- 
ters will make a fake attempt to bunt. By this 
means they may succeed in inducing the third 
baseman to play in exceptionally close : and 
then, instead of bunting, hit the ball as hard as 
possible in the direction of the third baseman. 
Should this happen, the odds are largely 
against the fielder reaching the ball, as the 

74 



Third Base 

Speed with which it leaves the bat is such as to 
render it impossible for the third baseman to 
cover much territory. And even if he should 
succeed in reaching the ball it is problematic 
whether the speed it is traveling will enable 
him to hold it safely after it touches his hands. 

The most successful third baseman is the 
one that can be depended upon to call the turn 
upon the batter's intention ; or, in other words, 
anticipate his play. It can be easily under- 
stood that to do this the fielder must be a keen 
observer and a wide-awake man. A batter 
may smash the ball to the far outfield, or he 
may conclude to drop it right in front of the 
plate. It is the province of the player on third 
base to watch for the different moods and in- 
tentions of the batters. If the fielder is alive 
and up-to-date, he can pretend to field deep, as 
though expecting a hard drive, and just as the 
pitcher is preparing to deliver the ball he should 
start to run in fast. This will often throw the 
batter off his guard and cause him to change 
his mind about his play. It will be noticed 
that a careful batter will always show a whole- 
some respect for a player of this nature. 

He should take all the slow hits, and thus 
reHeve the shortstop, who, owing to the neces- 
sity of his playing deep, is unable to reach the 
slow balls in time to catch the runner at first. 
This renders a complete understanding between 
the third baseman and the shortstop necessary. 
Each player should know just exactly what the 

75 



How to Play Baseball 

other intends, and thus play a better game to- 
gether. 

The third baseman should exercise great 
care when handhng balls to his left, so as not 
to conflict with the shortstop. He should not 
attempt to take any ball that could be handled 
cleanly by the shortstop, as in this case he 
would not be in a position for a quick and ac- 
curate throw. It is well in this case for the 
shortstop, as soon as he sees he can handle the 
ball better and cleaner, to shout to the third 
baseman : "Let it go !" or words to that effect. 
It often happens that a player covering the 
third bag will go after balls that are not prop- 
erly in his territory. This he should avoid, un- 
less he is absolutely sure of safe fielding and 
a quick return. 

Not only must the third baseman watch the 
work of the batters, but he must devote con- 
siderable attention to the runners and keep a 
watchful eye on the bases. Many runners are 
caught napping through the shrewd playing of 
the men covering the bases. It is customary 
for players on third to take a deal of leeway 
and play far off. The third baseman should 
watch for these plays and sign the catcher for 
all throws to catch the runner off his base. 

A third baseman must pass through a fire of 
severe criticism, and must have an unusual 
amount of experience to cover the position sat- 
isfactorily. As he faces the hardest kind of 
hits, it requires skill and courage of no ordi- 
nary ability to face the hard drives which are 

76 



Third Base 

sent in his territory, and unless a young player 
possesses these attributes it would be better for 
him to try for a less difficult position. 

It is but a short distance from third base to 
the home plate, and unless the third baseman is 
watchful a runner may steal home. This espe- 
cially is the case when the score is close and 
one run is needed to tie or win the game. All 
players take desperate chances, but in this case 
will go to greater extremes than when on first 
or second bases. Hence will be readily under- 
stood the importance of the third baseman's 
position. There are some rules, however, that 
would not apply in every case. All players 
are seen at their best under unexpected or par- 
ticularly difficult conditions. While the general 
rule applies in these cases, it must be left to 
the discretion of the fielder as to what he. 
should do. To those thoroughly grounded in 
the principles of the game this is not a very 
difficult matter, but to those whose experience 
is limited the solving of a problem of play is 
at times difficult, but a player should do his 
best under all conditions. No man can be suc- 
cessful at all times ; and should errors result 
from lack of judgment it should only prove an 
incentive to the player to do better next time. 



77 



OUT-FIELDING 




A successful outfielder must be 
a fast runner and possessed 
of a good, strong arm. Un- 
less a young player can lay 
claim to these two desirable 
elements in an outfielder's 
make-up he can definitely 
satisfy himself that he can- 
not fill a position in the out- 
field. Of course, it is neces- 
sary for a player to have 
other attributes, but these 
two are indispensable, and 
« so much so that no player 
has ever made a success without them. When 
the young player finds he does not possess 
these qualities the sooner he tries some other 
part of the field the better it will be for him, 
as well as his team. 

Plenty of practice is needed by outfi.eld as- 
pirants to develop all the qualities of a player. 
It is surprising how many base-ball players 
who originally started in the game as pitchers, 
but were unable to satisfactorily field their po- 
sitions, have become really great outfielders. By 
continual practice a player is able to judge the 
hardest kind of flies and drives. There is a 
great deal in good judgment, both in the di- 



79 



How to Play Baseball 

rection of a fly and the erratic bounding of a 
ball. The position of the sun, state of the at- 
mosphere and nature of the background, all 
have more or less influence on the fielder, while 
one of the principal difficulties to contend with 
is the wind, which may change the direction of 
the ball many yards. 

There is a big advantage to be gained by all 
outfielders in starting after the ball quickly. 
The sound of the bat and ball meeting should 
be the sign to get into motion. No matter in 
what direction the ball is hit, always start off, 
no matter if the ball is taken by another out- 
fielder. In this way the player will soon ac- 
quire the ability that must belong to all first- 
class fielders, viz. : to judge the distance the 
ball will travel by the sound of the bat connect- 
ing with the ball. Use is second nature, and 
in this case it is essentially true. By carefully 
watching the batsmen and judging the length 
and direction of hits an outfielder will eventu- 
ally become expert in this particular, and will 
often reach a ball which otherwise would be 
good for two or three bases. 

While good fielding is an actual part of an 
outfielder's stock in trade, it is expected that he 
should be more than an ordinary batsman. This 
is shown by the number of outfielders who 
head the batting list in both Leagues. It is 
seldom an outfielder is engaged by any of the 
major clubs by reason of his clever fielding, as 
the outfield does not ofifer the possibilities of 
brilliant plays that associate themselves with 

80 



Out-ficIding 

the infield. Before offering an outfielder a con- 
tract the manager of a team will satisfy him- 
self that the player is an exceptional batsman. 
On the other hand, an outfielder must be able 
to handle safely and return quickly fly balls. No 
team can possibly win on fielding alone. This 
may keep down the score of the opponents, but 
something must be done to secure runs to win, 
and, therefore, it is necessary to have some 
good batters on the team ; and as the outfield- 
ers have less chance to distinguish themselves 
than the infielders it is necessary to fill the out- 
field positions with good batsmen and take 
chances on the quality of the players' fielding. 
After catching a fly the outfielder should lose 
no time in returning the ball to the infield. 
Many players have a bad habit of holding the 
ball when men are on bases. Many bases are 
stolen in this way, and frequently runs are 
scored. It is poor ball playing, and players 
who have this fault should get rid of it as soon 
as possible. There is really only one way to 
play base-ball, and that is to play it properly ac- 
cording to all recognized rules. When an out- 
fielder secures the ball he should, as soon as 
possible, return it to the infield. Should there 
be a man on first base the ball should be thrown 
to second from all parts of the outfield, but 
with a man on second the ball should be thrown 
to the third baseman. This applies to the cen- 
tre and left fielder, but the right fielder should 
line the ball straight for second base unless he 
has to go close to the foul line or near centre 

8i 



How to Play Baseball 

field to secure the ball. Then it should be fielded 
to third. 

It is impossible for the captain to judge 
which of the outfielders should take the ball 
when it falls between two players. In addi- 
tion, the noise from the grandstand and bleach- 
ers is so great that his voice would be lost in 
the great noise. When more than one player 
is after the same ball the one who feels certain 
of reaching the ball safely should call out as 
loud as possible that he ''will take it.'' A clear 
understanding should exist on that point, and 
every member on the team should rigidly ad- 
here to it. It will be found to work to better 
advantage when the two players running after 
the ball call out rather than any other player. 

From a fielding standpoint, the outfielder 
must show good judgment of balls hit in the 
air, no matter whether they are long flies or 
speedy liners. The most reUable outfielders, 
both past and present, acquired remarkable 
skill in this respect, and from the moment the 
ball is hit they can judge the distance it will 
travel. This is noticeable when a long fly is 
hit to the outfield. After the ball leaves the 
bat the outfielder in whose direction the ball is 
hit will turn his back on the ball and run many 
yards before turning around to face the ball. 
Then he will turn suddenly and pull down the 
ball. This is one of the most severe tasks for 
an outfielder, and the success of it stamps him 
as a player of no mean ability. It is this and 

82 



Out-fielding 

Other similar work that develops star players on 
the ball field. 

It is impossible for a player to continually 
keep his eye on the ball and reach a given point 
in time to catch it. He must run backwards or 
sidewise, and in this case will, in four out of 
five times, trip up. In the case of running in 
for a ball he should start quickly, run a few 
yards and stop for a brief space, then run in 
and meet the ball. He should be careful not 
to overrun the mark, as this shows on the face 
of the play poor judgment. It is easier to run 
in than run out, and while the outfielder may 
not make as many grand-stand plays by fol- 
lowing these instructions his work will be 
doubly effective, and his fielding average will 
show a much greater percentage at the end of 
the season than if he played to the spectators 
instead of his club. 



GENERAL ADVICE TO OUT-FIELDERS 

A great deal might be said about the ad- 
vantages of playing, but many of the plays 
cannot be anticipated, and the fielder must use 
his ovv^n discretion. There are, however, certain 
plays and the method of making them that are 
controlled by recognized rules, which, if prop- 
erly observed, will prove successful and effi- 
cient. In fielding ground balls the outfielder 
should run in quickly to meet them, taking as 

83 



Out-fielding 

much care as possible to reach the ball when it 
is off the ground on a short bound, so that in 
case of a fumble the player will have ample 
time to. head off the runner from making an 
extra base. 

On all balls hit to either field the player 
should start to back up the play, in order to 
recover the ball should it succeed in getting 
away from the first fielder. This rule should 
be rigidly observed, as it will often stop the 
runners from advancing a base. In addition, 
when a fielder knows he will be backed up he 
will have greater confidence when fielding the 
ball. All players are more or less nervous, and 
all are, or should be, inspired with the desire 
to do their very best to win, but where the 
player feels that he is left entirely alone to his 
own resources he is very apt not to be seen at 
his best. 

The most glaring fault noticeable among the 
outfielders at present is the failure to back each 
other up. No matter how^ brilliant a player 
may be he will do better work when he feels 
he is being properly backed up. The fault is 
due to a habit born of confidence in the player 
who is out in the field ; but it is a weakness, 
and should be overcome. While self-reliance is 
a splendid trait, support is desirable in base- 
ball for the success of combined or individual 
playing. 



84 



BASE RUNNING 




THERE are many things con- 
nected with base-ball which 
are little known, except to 
the leading players — base 
running, coaching, manage- 
ment and various other de- 
partments which are essen- 
tial in the success of a team. 
Perhaps the most import- 
ant department of the game 
is base running. It looks 
easy for a player to circle 
the bases, but it has been 
reduced to such a stage of 
excellence that the better and finer points are 
often lost to the general public. It is a daily 
occurrence for players to win games through 
superior base running, and the art is almost 
as requisite as batting. It is often a hard mat- 
ter to fool and deceive the old-timers in the in- 
field, but the up-to-date players are inventing 
new plays every year, and it is necessary for 
the infielders to watch closely for tricks. 

There is little doubt that the most intellec- 
tual, as well as most interesting, department in 
the game is base running. It requires the most 
skill, it calls into play the quickest and keen- 
est perception and soundest of judgment, and 

85 



How to Play Baseball 

demands agility as well as speed. It is the 
especial field for the display of daring, cour- 
age and enthusiasm. 

The first qualification that is necessary in a 
base runner is the ability to start quickly. While 
the distance from base to base is but 90 feet, 
a fraction of a second means in many cases a 
stolen base or a put-out, as the case may be. 
If the runner is successful in getting a quick 
start, the catcher will be the first to notice it, 
and as he realizes that it will be necessary for 
him to handle the ball expeditiously, he will 
often throw wild in his hurry. Should, how- 
ever, he see the base runner is a slow runner he 
will have plenty of time to steady himself be- 
fore making the throw, and will in the ma- 
jority of cases succeed in catching his man. 

The advantages of a quick start in base run- 
ning cannot be overestimated. To be able to 
do so means not only quick actions of the mus- 
cles, but the united action of the body and 
brain. The coacher is put on the line for the 
purpose of watching a favorable opening, but 
the runner must be alive to all openings with- 
out depending upon the coacher for advice 
and instructions. The player on the coaching 
line is often blamed for a miserable exhibition 
of base running done by a player who was un- 
able to grasp the situation until called upon l)v 
the coacher to do so. The latter may do In'^ 
work thoroughly and effectively, but there is 
no reason why the base runner should not use 
his eyes and ears and not wait for the coacher 

^6 



Base Running 

to advise him. By waiting for the word and 
not acting for himself the base runner fre- 
quently loses valuable time, and should he be 
caught off the base the coacher is invariably 
censured for the play, where the runner, had 
he been paying the proper amount of attention 
to his work would have succeeded in reaching 
the base in safety. By waiting to be told what 
to do he probably loses a couple of seconds 
and misses his base by a close margin, which 
he would not have done had he started at the 
proper time and used his brains. 

A player should, when on bases, pay strict 
attention to the watching of an opportunity to 
get the right start, and when once his mind is 
made up he should lose no time in getting 
away. The player who is alive to every situa- 
tion and does not need to be told when to start 
will seldom be caught. There should be no 
question about a player's intention. He should 
make up his mind quickly and act promptly. 
Of course, there are conditions which will 
arise which cannot possibly be foreseen. These 
must be left to the runner's best judgment, and 
he should act accordingly ; but whete a straight 
play is contemplated there should be no hesi- 
tation, and no change of plans made. 

Base runners adopt many different methods 
to secure a long start when on the bases. It 
often happens that the player who takes a big 
lead will continually be forced back to the base 
by the pitcher, who will throw time and time 
again to tire the runner out. When it is nec@s- 

87 



How to Play Baseball 

sary for a player to slide back to save a put- 
out the wear and tear on his system is such 
that when he actually starts for the next base 
he has lost much of his speed, and is generally 
put out. There is a right and a wrong way 
to steal a base, and the most universal, that 
adopted by all the best base runners, is to keep 
close to the base, standing quietly and appar- 
ently carelessly, as though paying no attention 
to the doings of the game. The pitcher will 
frequently glance over his shoulder to watch 
the base, and, seeing the runner in this posi- 
tion, takes a great deal for granted, and feel- 
ing satisfied the player will not attempt to steal 
a base on him, becomes careless. This is the 
opportunity looked for, and the player should 
at once prepare himself to start promptly, and 
success will, in the majority of cases, follow 
the play. 

This part of base running is not followed 
close enough. The general impression pre- 
vails that to get a couple of yards' start is the 
most desirable way of accomplishing the ob- 
ject. This is wrong, and in the double desire to 
steal the base and protect himself the player 
often loses many advantages, which otherwise 
he would be able to avail himself of. It often 
happens that a slow runner will be more suc- 
cessful in stealing a base than a much faster 
runner. This is due entirely to superior judg- 
ment rather than speed. The slow runner real- 
izes that he must outwit the pitcher if he wants 
to steal, while the speedier player will take for 

88 



Base Running^ 

granted that his speed will carry him through. 
This is a grave mistake, and is made by many. 
With a good system between the pitcher and 
catcher and both working well together, it is 
almost impossible to steal a base, except in the 
case of a wild throw, and these are becoming 
less frequent each year. This makes it dou- 
bly necessary for the base runners to watch 
the pitcher when they are in the act of stealing 
a base. 



?9 



BASE SLIDING 



M 

DOLAN 



ERE speed will not make a 
good base runner, but all 
other things being equal, the 
fastest runner will be the 
most successful on the bases. 
Too much attention cannot 
be paid to sprinting. When 
training in the spring the 
player, instead of jogging a 
mile or two to improve his 
wind, should practice sprint- 
ing. Wind is an absolute 
necessity in base running. 
If a player is short-winded 
he will tire perceptibly by the time he reaches 
third base, provided he clears two or more 
bases at the same time. The majority 
of players in spring training work more 
with the view to reducing superfluous 
flesh than improving their speed and 
strengthening the wind. It is a good thing to 
do plenty of road work. It hardens the mus- 
cles, and it should be kept up for a time, but 
when the muscles are sufficiently hardened the 
player should confine himself to sprinting — not 
long sprints, but twenty or thirty yards. Fif- 
teen minutes' practice of this work will make 
a great improvement in a player, and enable 



91 



How to Play Baseball 

him to travel much faster than he otherwise 
would do. 

Base sliding is an art acquired by but a few. 
A straight dive for the base is easy of accoi^i- 
plishment, but it is the object of all good base 
sliders to fool the fielder and prevent a put out. 
A player who can slide well will often save 
himself from being put out by the baseman. It 
often happens that a player in trying to reach 
his base will find the ball perhaps ten feet 
ahead of him. In this case, instead of diving 
straight for the bag or resigning himself to his 
fate, he will dive for the base, but throw his 
body on one side out of the range of the base- 
man's reach, thus avoiding being touched with 
the ball. To the spectators who invariably 
watch the ball and not the player, the latter is 
thought to be out, and when the umpire calls 
*'safe," the onlookers will often send up a howl 
of protest and derision. The player who has 
been fooled by the runner will often enter a 
protest and assert he touched his man. On the 
other hand, the umpire will frequently err and 
call a runner out when he is not touched. 

This happens when the slide is so perfect 
and such a clever piece of work that its ac- 
complishment deceives the umpire as well as 
the spectators. Then the runner is heard from, 
but the umpire gives him but little satisfaction, 
and the runner is declared out. 

There are many ways used in base sliding. 
Those most successfully made are with head or 
feet first. The player who slides to base with 

92 



Base Sliding 

his feet foremost is the most dangerous, and 
as a result less liable to be touched by the 
fielder. He is consequently the most successful 
in base stealing. All ball players wear spikes 
in their shoes, and occasionally a fielder is ac- 
cidentally spiked. As a rule these injuries are 
really serious, and often result in a player being 
laid off for several weeks. After being spiked 
once the player is doubly carefully not to feel 
the spikes on his limbs or feet a second time. 
In the case of the player who slides feet fore- 
most the fielder understands he is doubly lia- 
ble to injury, and will not take the same des- 
perate chances he would if the player should 
dive head first. In close decisions this is more 
than ever the case. A player is easily blocked 
off who slides with his head foremost. If the 
ball is ahead of the runner the baseman's task 
is comparatively easy. When the baseman 
knows the runner will surely slide head fore- 
most he will have more confidence in making 
the put-out. 

A player, however, should not confine him- 
self to any particular style of sliding, but should 
change frequently so as to keep the baseman 
guessing w^hat to expect, and this will prove a 
great advantage to the runner. After starting, 
the runner should pay no attention to anything 
but the base ahead of him. That is his objec- 
tive point, and his thoughts should be centred 
on how to reach it safely. Many players have 
a bad habit of watching the ball. This lessens 
the speed of the runner and prevents him from 

93 



How to Play Baseball 

making the slide at the right distance. 

The necessity of watching the base and not 
the ball cannot be too strongly impressed on 
the base runners. There exists no need to turn 
the head to watch the direction in which the 
ball will be thrown. By keeping his eye fixed 
on the base to which he is moving, the runner 
wall be able to see the baseman who is to handle 
the ball. He can thus tell whether the ball will 
be high or low or right or left of the base. 
This will give the base runner the opportunity 
to decide upon the style of slide he will make. 
The decision must be arrived at promptly and 
executed unhesitatingly. A change in the run- 
ner's intention will result in bad execution of 
the play. 

There is always a certain amount of danger 
to the player who slides. Bruises, sprains and 
abrasions will frequently result. Protection 
from a possibility of these injuries is necessary. 
The base runner who slides should protect him- 
self by w^earing good,. heavy pads, so that when 
he is making a desperate slide, which is often 
necessary, he will not bruise himself when com- 
ing into contact with the hard, rough ground. 
There are many kinds of pads used. The best, 
and that used by the majority of first-class 
players, is a towel rolled up and pinned to the 
pants. With a few exceptions all players slide 
diflferently, and the padding can be adjusted to 
suit the player. It should be placed where it 
will do the most good. 

In former years the suits were made with 

94 



Base Sliding 

padding over the hips, knees and legs, but this 
is not done now. The players, when sending 
their measurements to the m.anager of the 
rlub, will invariably insert a memorandum 
that no padding is wanted in the pants. This 
enables the player to arrange the padding to 
suit him_self. 

The points that have been mentioned in con- 
nection with base running and sliding may be 
term_ed mechanical aids to the accomplishment 
of the ends. There are more important factors 
which must be considered and closely followed. 
Like all sports, business or machinery, it is the 
various component parts that must be so welded 
together as to complete the cycle. There is no 
department in the national game in which in- 
telligence plays so important a part. No mat- 
ter how clever a player m_ay be as a starter, or 
runner, or slider, these advantages will be 
found of little value unless properly directed 
by a quick perception and sound judgment. 

In fact, it is not unusual that the three ac- 
complishments, unless attended by good judg- 
ment, will lead the player into difficulties which 
will often result in nullifying the effect of the 
play, which would otherwise be crowned with 
success. 

In order to know and judge when a fair op- 
portunity presents itself, the player must be 
thoroughly familiar with the chances of the 
play, and experience alone can give a player 
this. Close attention to all departments of this 
branch of the game is an absolute necessity, A 

95 



How ta Play Baseball 

player who is observant and alive to all pos- 
sibilities of the game will find many oppor- 
tunities where a point may be gained, where 
another player of less ability would overlook 
such an opening. The latter will thereby lose 
many points for his team by not being able to 
grasp the situation when it presents itself, and 
take fUll advantage of it. Many players feel 
satisfied when reaching first base, and will 
quietly await the favorable opportunity to ad- 
vance. These m.en are never stars. It is the 
runner who can not only reach the initial bag, 
but who can take full advantage of it, that is 
oi great value to a team.. 

Reputation in base running is a valuable as- 
set for any player to possess. He will be able 
to keep both catcher and pitcher on the qui 
vive and bother the basemen very much. Young 
players desiring to become proficient in base 
running and sliding would do well to watch- 
closely the work of those players who are well 
known as expert base runners, every move he 
may make, every effort to deceive the players 
should be given strict attention, and every ac- 
tion after he reaches first base should not be 
allowed to escape observation. It is seldom an 
expert expends energy unnecessarily. He will 
nearly always have an object in view, and 
much valuable information can be gathered 
by careful observation. 

The world at large must have a leader. Art, 
science, business, politics, statesmancraft, as 
well as sports and pastimes, recognize one or 

96 



Base Sliding 

more leaders. In the majority of instances the 
leader will be followed and copied. This same 
ruling applies to base-ball. By following the 
work of a leader in base running and sliding 
the player can in time equal his work and often 
excel it. 

There are certain stages in a game when it 
is advisable not to attempt to steal a base. When 
a number of runs are needed to tie the score 
or win the game, no attempt should be made. 
There are two strong reasons against it. First, 
a player has no right to take chances in a case 
of this kind, as it would not do his side much 
good and might possibly work material harm ; 
and, second, the liability of injuries is so great 
that it may deprive his club of his services 
should he meet with an accident. A player 
should always consider his club before his own 
individual playing, and in so doing should 
weigh the chances of incapacity before taking 
them. 

Many players insist upon running bases reck- 
lessly when the score is so one-sided that it 
cannot possibly do their club any good. This is 
to figure at the end of the season as one of the 
leading base runners. This man according to 
individual records is superior to those players 
who have less stolen bases to their credit, but 
the latter have a far better team record by rea- 
son of the fact that they did not take any 
chances unless the conditions required them to 
do so. 

Base running offers varied opportunity for 

97 



How to Play Baseball 

the players to show their true worth as base- 
ball players, and the ability of the runners to 
take advantage of any carelessness or errors on 
the part of their opponents. In all games where 
the batting is light it wnll be found good policy 
to take chances on the bases. No runs can pos- 
sibly be made unless the team is batting, and 
the only chance of making runs will come from 
the ability of the men on the bases. All teams 
have off batting days. It is but natural that 
m.en should not feel the sam_e all the time, and 
then conditions change the gam_e. It has often 
been noticed the slum_ps in batting, even with 
the greatest batters in the two big leagues, and 
it is when such a condition of affairs exists that 
the m.en on bases should help out the batting by 
taking unusual chances. 

Although it is advisable to take big risks in 
light batting games, no attempt to steal bases 
should be m.ade unless a good start can be ob- 
tained. With two men out and a player on 
first the captain will instruct the base runner to 
steal, forcing him to take a chance, even though 
a poor start be obtained. This is a grave mis- 
take, inasmuch as the fielders at this particular 
time are especially alive to such a play, and 
will watch closely for it. The pitcher will keep 
the ball wide, so as to enable the catcher to 
handle it promptly and throw it to the base in 
time to catch the runner. 

The best rule to follow is to wait until the 
pitcher is compelled to put the ball directly 
over the plate. After working a couple of balls 

98 



Base Sliding 

to the batter he will put the next one over the 
plate, and will take a little more time to be cer- 
tain that it will be called a strike. This will 
give the runner an opportunity to obtain a bet- 
ter start, and unless the catcher is an unusually 
strong thrower, he will be able to add a stolen 
base to his credit. 

Base running should not be attempted unless 
the runner secures a good start, and in this re- 
spect he must use judgment. A player should 
run on every hit made, no matter whether the 
ball goes to the infield or outfield. Many games 
have been lost through failure and neglect to 
observe this rule. Many players, when the ball 
is hit to the infield, jump at the conclusion that 
it will be fielded cleanly, and will loaf in the 
play, or make no attempt to advance a base. 
He will often find the ball fumbled by the 
fielder, and will then start for his next base. 
He finds, to his chagrin, that he has missed his 
opportunity, and that, had he started at the 
time the ball was hit, he would have reached 
the base in safety, but owing to his blunder he 
is put out. Plays of this kind not only rob the 
player of a base which should be credited to 
him, but it frequently causes a loss of the game 
itself, where by good playing he might have 
won it. 

No excuse can be offered for the player wfitf 
fails to run out his hit, no matter whether safe^ 
or not. It is a cardinal principle of the game, 
and should be followed out to the letter. No 
player can anticipate the action of a fielder. 



How to Play Baseball 

There is not a player on the diamond who is 
infallible, and with the liabilities of errors no 
player has the right or license to assume any- 
thing. It is especially incumbent on the part 
of every player to attempt to steal bases when 
the pitcher is doing good work, and the player's 
team making a poor showing at the bat. It is 
in this and similar instances where desperate 
chances should be taken by the runners on the 
bases. The more bases stolen, the greater the 
likelihood of rattling the pitcher and demoral- 
izing the fielders. Once the pitcher lets up in 
his speed, runs will come easy, and whenever 
the catcher should have an off day or throw 
poorly, it is the duty of the base runners to 
keep continually at their base stealing. The 
batters can afford to have strikes called on them 
if their clubmates are advancing by stolen 
bases. The object of base-ball is to secure as 
many runs as possible. It matters little in the 
ultimate result whether these come from errors, 
stolen bases or hits, provided the necessary 
number of runs to win the game are scored. 

When a pitcher is being hit freely, base run- 
ners should not take any chances on the bases, 
as the batting should bring in a sufficient num- 
ber of runs to wan the game, and repeated at- 
tempts to steal will result in put outs, which 
otherwise would not follow. 

Signals should be used when players are on 
first or second, so that the former will know 
when the latter contemplates a steal. In this 
way a double steal is often effected, whereas 

ioo 



Base Sliding 

if only the player on second makes the attempt 
no great advantage is gained unless there is 
no one out. Should the player be unsuccessful 
in his attempt he will place his team at great 
disadvantage. Had the man on first started 
at the same time he would have reached sec- 
ond, and the disadvantage would not be so 
great. The player on second should give the 
runner on first the sign that he intends to steal. 
This will enable the man on first to prepare 
for a double steal. It is practically impossible 
to make a double play in this case, and in the 
event of the first runner being caught at third 
there will be very little harm done, as the sec- 
ond base will still be occupied. 

With one man out it is always good policy 
to take chances in stealing third base, though, 
as it has already been pointed out, before at- 
tempting to steal, the player should be certain 
of a good start. He could^then score on a long 
fly to the outfield. 

In a close game, where hitting is light, a 
player should take more than ordinary chances 
on the bases. A wild throw or a dropped ball 
by a baseman will give the runner the chance 
he may be watching for. No play can be cut 
and dried on the diamond, and the runners 
must be prepared for any emergency, ready to 
take advantage of any weakness on the part of 
their opponents, and sacrifice individual efforts 
for team work. 



lOI 



COACHING 




A COMMON error is being 
daily committed by club 
managers in overlooking 
what is undoubtedly one of 
the most im-portant branches 
of the gam.e, and one that 
should receive the utmost at- 
tention. Not only are man- 
agers themselves overlook- 
ing the coaching, but the 
players are neglecting this 
feature of the national gam.e. 
To the casual observer the 
importance of wise and ac- 
tive coaching is apparent, and yet this fact 
seems to be entirely overlooked by those per- 
sons most concerned in the national game. 

During the past few years coaching rules 
have been greatly improved, and players no 
longer can talk to anyone but the base runner, 
and those players who not only are on the 
bench, but on the coaching line, are no longer 
permitted to hurl epithets at the pitcher in 
order to rattle him, as was the case a few years 
ago. Coaching is now conducted on lilies 
which admit of no infraction. Systematic and 
rigid, they are applied in such a way as to in- 
sure the greatest good for the game. Many 

103 



How to Play Baseball 

players have figured prominently as adepts in 
coaching. Under the new rules the players 
have little opportunity of distinguishing them- 
selves, as the principal work consists of close 
attention to every play, and their remarks are 
confined exclusively to the base runners. 

Good, lively coaching is still admired by all 
the followers of base-ball, and this fact is an im- 
portant one to the players, who like to be en- 
couraged in all their work. Coaching will 
often make an ordinary game full of interesting 
features and incidents. A dual contest, whether 
between individuals or clubs, is always ad- 
rr.ired, and the base-ball spectators enjoy the 
sight of the rival clubs striving with vigor and 
enthusiasm in an intelligent and determined 
manner as if the winning of the game was of 
the utmost moment to each, and where the play- 
ers concentrate their entire beings and ambi- 
tion on the contest. 

When a man on the coaching line is attending 
to his duties properly he will keep his fellow- 
players up to concert pitch in the most persist- 
ent manner. This can be accomplished by en- 
couraging the players without any unnecessary 
howling. Many good coachers think howling 
and extraordinary gesticulations necessary to 
success on the coaching lines. This is a great 
mistake, as nothing disgusts the spectators so 
much as to hear a player shouting at the top of 
his voice. Spectators, however, do not win ball 
games, and while little consideration would be 
given them in an effort to win a game, still the 

104 



Coaching 

shouting does not accomplish much with the 
player on the bases. It is a useless expenditure 
of energy, and often results in placing the 
coacher in a ridiculous position, which is in no 
way beneficial to the player on his team. 

The player who possesses brains and good 
sound judgment and is a keen observer of all 
points of the game is the best man for the 
coaching line. He knows just what to expect 
of each batter, and the base running ability of 
every man on his team. Should he be stationed 
at third base, which is the most important posi- 
tion, he must be especially alert and active. It 
is upon his judgment that many games are won 
and lost. He must be able to measure the dis- 
tance quickly and decide whether the man on 
third base should be held or make an effort to 
reach home. 

It is often necessary to take big chances. 
This is especially true when the batting is light 
or a weak batsman is at the bat and a single run 
needed to tie the score or win the game, as it 
is mainly upon the coacher's judgment that the 
play is made. It is here the worth of a coacher 
is shown, and he can often change the result 
of a game by his clever work. 

To be a successful coacher, a player must 
possess nerve. Brains are a necessary adjunct 
to the other requisite qualities, but these must 
be associated and go hand in hand with nerve. 
When the game is close and may be decided by 
a single run, the coacher must often exhibit an 
extraordinary amount of nerve, as he must 

105 



How to Play Baseball 

necessarily expose himself to the possibilities 
of censure of the experts, critics and spectators. 
These self-constituted judges often unjustly 
condemn coachers for sending players home, 
when the play fails. As long as the runner 
crosses the home plate safely, it is all right, 
and the coacher is lauded to the skies for his 
exhibition of good judgment ; but let a player 
get caught at the home plate on a close decision, 
and the spectators will hurl all sorts of de- 
risive epithets and names at the offender. 

A player on the coaching lines always has 
his hands full if he pays the proper amount 
of attention to his duties. Any neglect or er- 
rors may result in disastrous effects to his club, 
and possibly hurt the player's reputation. It 
is a grave mistake to suppose any player can 
coach. Just as much, if not more, experience 
is needed as in any other position on the field. 
It is not infrequently seen that players who 
have been before the public for years as good 
professional base-ball players will be guilty of 
the most egregious blunders when on the 
coaching lines. Instead of acting with prompt- 
ness and decision, they will vacillate and after 
starting the runner on his homeward journey, 
will often stop him, showing a carelessness and 
indifference that cannot be too strongly con- 
demned by all lovers of the game. 

When the player on the coaching line plans 
to send the runner home from third he should, 
as the baserunner approaches third, start for 
the home plate himself, and at the same time 

io6 



Coaching 

wave his hand to the runner; this. will indicate 
the play expected. A coacher should carefully 
avoid moving in the direction of third base, 
unless it be for the purpose of holding the run- 
ner there. This is a long-standing recognized 
rule and followed by all the leading players. 
Players running the bases are prepared for this 
style of coaching. If the player on the coach- 
ing line approaches the third base the runner 
takes it as an indication that he is to stop there, 
but otherwise he will continue on towards the 
home plate. The failure to observe this rule 
often results in a put out for the runner through 
overrunning the base or attempting too much. 
On all • balls hit to the outfield the coaches 
should instruct the runner to round third base. 
This is done to enable the runner to continue on 
to the home plate in the event of the ball not 
being handled properly. This is another case 
where there should be no hesitation. Should 
"the player jump at the conclusion that the ball 
has been handled safely he may find himself 
greatly in error. As before pointed out, the 
best players on the diamond are liable to com- 
mit an error and the base runner should be 
prepared for this emergency and take full ad- 
vantage of it. This same rule should be fol- 
lowed on all balls thrown by the infield to first 
base. In this way the very best results can be 
obtained at the minimum risks. It is the prov- 
ince of the base runner to watch, and take in- 
structions from the coacher, and the two should 
work together on all plays. 

107 






How to Play Baseball 

Young and inexperienced players should not 
be sent to coach on the first base line. While 
the first base is not as important to coach as 
the third, yet the responsibilities are unusually 
great and the coacher should be an old and 
tried player, fully alive to all the tricks in the 
game. At both positions good judgment is 
requisite. When the ball is hit over the third 
base the coacher at first must decide whether 
the man on first should be sent to second. No 
tirhe must be lost. Instructions must be given 
to runners, and those unhesitatingly. 

An inexperienced player will make many 
mistakes, not of the heart, but of the head. 
Lack of knowledge of the fine points of the 
game is responsible for these. Overanxiety is 
another handicap under which all young play- 
ers suffer. It is a proper thing to go out after 
every game and do everything possible to win 
it ; but there are many tricks a young player 
must be familiar with before he can be trusted 
with so important a position. 

It is customary for the managers and cap- 
tains to use those players who are not taking 
actual part in the game. This is done to save the 
regular players as much as possible between 
the innings. They like to give their players 
all the rest possible and use the men on the 
bench for coaching. This is all right in the 
case of those players whose experience en- 
titles them to the confidence shown, but the in- 
experienced coacher will often make their work 
harder by his mistakes, and it will be found 

io8 



Coaching 

profitable in the long run to use the experienced 
players, as they really feel little or no ill-effects 
from their additional labors. 

The necessity of familiarizing themselves 
with every branch of the game, so that in the 
event of being selected to fill a position on the 
coaching line they will be properly qualified 
to do so, cannot be too strongly impressed on 
the young player's mind. They should not 
labor under the delusion that because a player 
can keep the audience in good humor by hu- 
morous remarks that he is a good coacher. As 
an end man on a minstrel show he might be a 
success, and he is tolerated by an indulgent 
crowd, but when his real worth and work are 
compared with that of a quiet, effective player, 
his true value as a coacher can be correctly 
gauged. A good coacher should be well in- 
formed. He should know exactly what to ex- 
pect from the batter. He should observe 
whether or not the batter had been batting the 
pitcher successfully. This will enable him to 
judge as to the expediency of sending the man 
off the base quickly. It is the inexperienced 
player who fails in these essentials. He does 
not consider those points which go to making 
a player invaluable to his team. He uses the 
same judgment, whether one or a dozen runs 
are needed by his side, and does not think any 
more than ordinary brain work necessary. 

109 



How lo Play Baseball 

Managers and captains should always re- 
member the objective point for the best coacher 
is at third base. By keeping a good live, clever 
player here many games will be won, which 
otherwise would be lost. 



f m 



SCIENTIFIC BUNTING 




SUCCESSFUL hitting at op- 
portune times is an art 
worthy of the highest culti- 
vation. It is not given to 
every base-ball player to be 
able to judge accurately 
just when and where to 
place a ball that will result 
in the most benefit for his 
side. There are many play- 

^'■f, ^^^^fe* ^^^ ^^^ ^^^' ^^^' nineteen 
\i t. ., "y^f^^^^^ ^ out of twenty times to hit 

successfully when the run- 
ner is stealing. This is due 
to the lack of proper training and the absence 
of those qualities that stamp a man as a su- 
perior player. The same applies to sacrifice hit- 
ting. Many of the very best players now in 
the game cannot sacrifice when called upon to 
do so. This is especially true of the player 
who is known as a slugger. 

In order to make team work a success all 
players should have a clear and distinct un- 
derstanding among themselves. The batter 
should know when an attempt is to be made to 
steal. There should be an understanding 
whether it is intended for the batter to help 
out the runner by trying to hit the ball or 



III 



How to Play Baseball 

permit the runner to go through the play 
without any assistance in the shape of a hit. 

With a fast runner on first, a good single will 
often land the player on third, especially if he 
gets a good start on the play. This play can 
often be made by bunting towards first or third 
base. Left-hand players are usually the best 
hunters. This is due to the fact that, being 
on the near side of the home-plate, they have 
less distance to travel to reach the initial bag. 
Fultz, of the Athletics, is one of the best right- 
handed hunters in the country, and by his 
clever work at the bat he has rendered inval- 
uable assistance to his club and has helped to 
win many games that would have been lost with 
a less clever man at the bat. Not only is such 
a man valuable as an individual to a club, but 
his work in this direction is an example to the 
other members, and an indirect result is accom- 
plished, in addition to a direct one. 



11^ 



VALUE OF TEAM WORK 




TEAM work is the foundation 
of success in base-ball. Like 
all big enterprises a com- 
bination of interests out- 
weighs individuality. No 
club can possibly expect to 
stand high in the season's 
race for the pennant unless 
there is a complete under- 
standing among all the play- 
ers. A few years ago this 
branch of the game was not 
encouraged as it now is. It 
used to be the custom for 
players to pay more attention to their individ- 
ual efforts than to the team work of the nine. 
This has all changed. There are still a few 
players whose desire to outshine their club- 
mates results in lessening the work of the club 
as a whole. In all the major league clubs a 
system has been adopted whereby the best 
individual efforts of the players are so utilized 
as to give the best results to the club. 

There is no general system in use. Every 
club manager has his own ideas as to the most 
effective method of getting team work. Each 
play is made according to the ideas of the cap- 
tain or manager. It is better to permit every 

113 



How to Play Baseball 

club to follow its own plans. If a general rec- 
ognized set of cut and dried rules was adopted, 
much of the interest now shown in the game 
would be missing. It is the systems now being 
worked that keep alive that spirit of rivalry, 
and promote that element of uncertainty that 
appeals to the spectators and keeps alive the 
interest in the game. 
L The Chicago White Stockings, with the 
greatest of all generals, A. C. Anson, at their 
head, was the first club to introduce team work, 
as it is now understood. Anson was the Na- 
poleon of the diamond. Not a trick or play 
escaped his observant eye, while he was al- 
ways studying some new style of play to bene- 
fit the game. To the younger element Anson 
is but a name to be conjured with, but to those 
who followed the game a decade ago, he was, 
and is, recognized as the greatest field general 
that ever commanded a base-ball nine. 

The value of team work has never been bet- 
ter illustrated than by the Chicago team. The 
infield comprised Anson, Pfeffer, Williamson 
and Burns, and the outfield was made up of 
Kelly, Gore and Dalrymple, while his batteries 
included such able exponents of the game as 
Corcoran, Goldsmith and "Silver" Flint. With 
such a galaxy of stars and all playing as a unit 
the team had no trouble in winning the cham- 
pionship. Each player knew exactly what was 
expected of him, and he did it unhesitatingly. 
Every player was able to turn a trick, not only 
at bat, but also in the field, while on the bases 

114 



Value of Team Work 

there was not a single minute that they did not 
keep their opponents guessing and on the anx- 
ious bench. It was remarkable how many close 
games the team won, and nearly all these suc- 
cesses were the result of clean-cut, hard-earned 
te;am work victories. It was this unity of ac- 
tion that enabled them to win more than one 
pennant during the time this great team was 
kept intact. 

"Mike" Kelly was an invaluable assistant to 
Anson. He was the originator of more plays 
than any man who is connected with the game 
at the present day. What made Kelly famous 
was the desperate chances he would take at 
critical stages of the game. There was not a 
trick he would not resort to, nor a daring play 
he would not attempt to pull his team out of a 
hole. When catching, Kelly was the shrewd- 
est, cleverest player that ever stood behind the 
bat. There was not a trick in the game he was 
not master of. One of his cleanest tricks was, 
with a runner on first he would drop the ball 
and allow it to roll a few feet away. By so 
doing he would entice the runner to start for 
second. He would then immediately recover 
the ball and catch his man easily. 

The moral efifect of the work of one man on 
the whole team cannot be fully estimated or ap- 
preciated. By virtue of his marked ability he 
sets up a standard which is aimed at by the 
other members of the team. This was the 
case with Mike Kelly, whose work on the Chi- 
cago team made him the bright particular star 

"5 



How to Play Baseball 

of that organization during his connection with 
it. He was always executing new plays and 
surprising his opponents by some remarkably 
original piece of work. Among the tricks he 
frequently used was one which required more 
than the ordinary amount of nerve and good 
judgment. With a runner on second, he would 
signal the outfielder to come in to short as soon 
as the ball was pitched. Then, making a feint 
to throw to second, he would start the runner 
back. The ball would then be thrown high 
over the baseman's head and the player would 
start for third, where he would find the ball 
waiting for him. The outfielder, taking the ball 
on the bound, would have no difficulty in catch- 
ing the runner at the third base. 

Kelly had few equals at the bat. He was a 
remarkably gifted man and was able to put 
the ball in almost any part of the field he wished 
to. With a runner on first base and starting 
for second, he would invariably succeed in 
placing the ball in that part of the field which 
Avould enable the runner to reach second safely. 

The famous catcher was at his best on the 
bases. Many of the young players at that time 
tell interesting stories of the different methods 
Kelly used to deceive them. There were few 
pitchers in the League that could keep him 
from getting a running start. He could size 
up a pitcher and pick out the proper ball to 
start on, while his sliding to bases has never 
been duplicated by any player on the diamond. 
Often the ball would be 20 feet ahead of him. 

116 



Value of Team Work 

The fielder would be standing on the line, and 
it would appear to be a sure put out, but by a 
quick slide and throwing the bady far out from 
the fielder, the latter would be so taken by sur- 
prise that he would miss Kelly nine out of ten 
times. 

It often happens that two players will figure 
in some especial play just as an individual will 
make his name famous by some remarkably 
clever piece of strategy. One of these plays 
was executed by Williamson and Burns, of the 
Chicago team, and was worked most success- 
fully while fielding with one of the opposing 
side out and a player on second. If the ball 
was hit between second and short the runner 
would start for the third bag. Burns would 
start running as though he intended going 
after the ball, but as soon as the runner passed 
him he would start back for third. William- 
son would take the ball and throw it to Burns, 
who would be waiting for it on the outside of 
the base. He would then block off the run- 
ner. The latter would naturally make an ef- 
fort to return to the base which he had just 
left after being made acquainted with the play 
by the coacher. This play cut ofif many runs. 
To enumerate all the clever plays successfully 
practised by the members of this team would 
be to tell the history of the Chicago Club at 
this period of its existence, but it was such 
plays as these that made Chicago champions 
for many years. 

The plays were not always executed v/ith 

117 



How to Play Baseball 

systematic regularity. Such would have failed 
in its objects. They were varied, and every 
effort made to cloak the real intentions of the 
players. To be successful a player must be 
original. It is not meant that a player should 
try all kinds of experiments. He should thor- 
oughly weigh the advantages and possible dis- 
advantages of any play before putting it into 
execution. After being satisfied with the effi- 
cacy of the play the originator should so frame 
his plans to prevent as far as possible any fail- 
ure. 

The introduction of team play in the Na- 
tional League did not extend rapidly. There 
was too much conservatism in the old players, 
and as a result the Chicago team carried things 
pretty much its own way. It was not until 
1894 that any material improvement in general 
team play was noticeable. In the fall of 1892, 
Edward Hanlon, present manager of the 
Brooklyn National League team, joined the 
Baltimore team. When he first became asso- 
ciated with the Southern club it was at the tail 
end of the League. The following year found 
the club in an improved position in the race. 
He was not satisfied with the make-up of the 
team, and began to cast his lines for players 
that w^ould carry out his ideas of team work. 
At this time he had fully reaHzed the value of 
team work as a factor in base-ball, and he 
should be given unstinted credit for the matur- 
insf and perfecting of those ideas which to-day 
are the basis of the work of every big team in 

118 



Value of Team Work 

the country. 

Hanlon's trades in 1893 gave him a formid- 
able aggregation of players in the following 
years. His knowledge of the game and pe- 
culiar ability to discern the good qualities of 
young players enabled him to add to his team 
such men as Kelly, McGraw, Jennings, Keeler, 
Doyle and Robinson. These and others had 
more than ordinary intelligence and ability, and 
Hanlon had but to instruct them in his style 
of play to bring the team to that state of per 
fection that stamped Hanlon as one of the best 
base-ball generals of the time. It was Han- 
Ion's idea to keep his opponents guessing as 
to what his men would do when at bat. In 
this he succeeded better than he expected, and 
for several years had the other clubs in the 
National- League on the anxious bench. 

Manager Hanlon did not bring his team to 
a state of perfection without an infinite amount 
of trouble. He did not confine himself to any 
particular style of play, but varied it according 
to the team against whom his men might be 
playing. The run-and-hit game so successfully 
introduced by Hanlon was followed with suc- 
cess not only when a player was on first base, 
but also with a runner on second, and in this 
way the other players were kept guessing what 
to expect. 

Such work was certain to have its eflfect on 
other teams, the players of which were not 
coached as well as that of Baltimore, and as a 
result the other teams became demoralized, and 

119 



How to Play Baseball 

made victory an easy matter for Hanlon^s men 
In every city visited by the Baltimoreans a 
good impression prevailed. The aggressive 
playing of Hanlon's men caught the crowd, and 
loud were the complaints against the local 
management on the score that the members of 
the home team did not play the game as it 
should be. The success of Baltimore created 
the desire to see the other teams follow in the 
same lines and play the same kind of snappy, 
aggressive game. 

Many clubs tried the experiment, but with 
little success. There was an absence of the 
brainy element which made it so successful 
with the Baltimore Club. The players failed 
to grasp the full advantages, while the play 
itself was executed in such a half-hearted man- 
ner that it could not but fail in its purpose. 
In addition to this, the absence of speedy run- 
ners badly handicapped the other clubs, who 
were thus comnelled to stand back and watch 
the work of Baltimore with envy. 



i20 




BARNEY DREYFUS 

Well Known Pittsburg Baseball Man 



RUN-AND-HIT GAME 




THE run-and-hit game can be 
worked successfully with a 
team of fast players, provid- 
ed they are cool-headed and 
intelligent. It does not fol- 
low that because a player 
may be fast on the bases that 
this style of play can be 
made effective. On the con- 
trary, a deal of judgment is 
necessary. The right ball 
must be selected before the 
player can attempt to run. 
There must be a reasonable 
amount of certainty that the ball which the 
player intends starting on will go over the 
plate. Pitchers at the present day are watch- 
ing for all kinds of plays, and in this respect 
they look out for the bases with greater care 
than formerly. 

It frequently happens that the runner will 
start when the pitcher has one or two strikes 
called on the batter and no balls. This should 
not be, and demonstrates a lack of judgment, 
as the pitcher will, as a rule, keep the ball wide, 
so as to enable his catcher to throw out the 
runner. 

In the series between the Philadelphia Amer- 



121 



How to Play Baseball 

ican League Club and Cleveland no trouble 
was experienced in heading off this play, as 
the runners were reckless and frequently at- 
tempted this play. The local team's catchers 
would watch for this play, signal for a wide 
ball and catch the runner without any trouble. 

Players should act in an apparently careless 
and indifferent manner when on the bases. He 
would then often deceive the battery and gain 
many points for his team. 

In nearly every American League club there 
are players who work the run-and-hit style of 
play to a degree of perfection that is really 
surprising. Two of the most successful play- 
ers are Lave Cross and Harry Davis, of the 
Philadelphia team. The former is one of the 
shrewdest players on the diamond, and has the 
instinct of guessing just the right ball to start 
on, and Davis seems to enjoy the distinctive 
ability to hit successfully with the player run- 
ning. This is a great advantage to the team, 
and increases his value as a ball player. 

With the present composition of the differ- 
ent clubs in the American League, Detroit and 
Chicago lead the other organizations in play- 
ing the most scientific game. The players on 
these two teams are very fast, and know the 
game thoroughly. They will keep their oppo- 
nents guessing continually as to what to look 
for when next at bat. They will often hit the 
ball hard when it would appear as though a 
sacrifice hit would be the best play, and bunt- 
ing when least expected. It is by these means 

122 



Run-and-Hit Game 

that many games are won that otherwise would 
be lost. 

There are many different styles of team play, 
and club managers have their own ideas as to 
what particular style is best fitted for the 
players. The Baltimore style of play is far 
preferable to all others when the club is made 
up of fast sprinters and players of nerve and 
good judgment. 

There is always danger in trying to force a 
player to do certain work he is entirely un- 
fitted for, and it often results in spoiling many 
good players. It is advisable to allow the play- 
ers to discover their own particular adaptabil- 
ity to any special style of playing. When they 
have tried many styles they will find they can 
do one special style better than another. They 
should then bend all their energies in this 
direction toward making a feature of it. All 
ball players have not become famous through 
following the same style of play, and the his- 
tory of the game in America shows that those 
names that are now household words, carried 
with them at the time a particular value in a 
special style of playing. 



123 



EFFECTS OF GENERALSHIP 




MAUL 



UNDER the leadership of 
Charles Comiskey, the St. 
Louis Browns captured the 
pennant of the American 
Association four years in 
succession. The work of 
this team was most brilliant, 
and would compare favor- 
ably with any team in the 
country during the past de- 
cade. The team was com- 
posed of many brainy play- 
ers, while Captain Comiskey 
was at his best at this time, 
and as a player of first base was not surpassed 
by anybody. This was due in a large measure 
not only to the striking personality of the 
leader of the team, but to the work of the 
players themselves in following directions 
given, with the object of accomplishing the 
greatest amount of good. 

Comiskey was easily the best first baseman 
of his day, and with his ability in this direc- 
tion he added a generalship of field work which 
placed him in a niche in the base-ball world 
which was far more prominent than any other 
player of his time. And there are many 
points which he brought out while playing that 




WILEY PIATT 




DAVID FULTZ 



How to Play Baseball 

position which could be copied to-day with 
beneficial results to the majority of the players 
covering the initial bag. Comiskey had no set 
plans for playing the initial sack. His sole 
desire when in the field was how to accomplish 
the best results. Unlike many of the present 
first basemen, with a runner on first, Com- 
iskey would often play off the base, faking a 
position about thirty feet back of the bag and 
gradually going further each time the runner 
would look in his direction. This had the 
effect of inducing the runner to take greater 
liberties. On the next move the runner 
would invariably glance around to find out 
where Comiskey was standing. The pitcher, 
acting under instructions from his captain, 
would then start. for the first bag, and would 
often beat the runner by a good margin. 

This play, while frequently effective, could 
not be tried very often, nor did Comiskey at- 
tempt it too much. He would work it when 
it was least expected, and it helped in many 
instances to win games for the Browns. 



ia6 



COMBINATION OF TEAM 
WORK 




MANY instances might be 
quoted showing how a club 
with ordinarily slow men 
has been able by combina- 
tion or team work to beat 
out other teams in the major 
leagues. The Detroit team, 
which won the championship 
in 1887, was the last team 
to win the pennant with a 
team of slow men. With the 
exception of Hanlon, the 
club roster did not show the 
name of a single player who 
could be regarded as more than average in base 
running. The only exception might, perhaps, 
be Sam Thompson, whose all-around work 
stamped him one of the leading base-ball play- 
ere of his time. The team was made up of 
a batting aggregation that was formidable. 
Brouthers, Dunlap, White and Rowe consti- 
ti.ted the infield. Hanlon, Thompson and 
Richardson filled the outfield. Bennett and 
Ganzell were the best of the catchers, while 
Getzein and Twitchell were easily the best of 
the pitching staff. 

127 



"^ 



How to Play Baseball 

Bennett, as a catcher, was in a class by him- 
self. He had no superior behind the bat, and it 
v^-^s next to impossible for a player to steal a 
base when he wore the mask and pad. The 
bulk of the catching fell upon Bennett during 
the season that Detroit w^on the championship. 
HI3 hands were badly bruised, but he refused 
to leave the game for a single day, when his 
services were needed, until his club had won 
the championship. Game after game he caught 
with a finger out of joint, caused by the mem- 
ber coming into conflict w^ith a foul tip. Mike 
Kelly, the famous Chicago and Boston 
catcher, once said of Bennett that ''he (Ben- 
nett) would throw a finger over the grand 
stand and not notice it." This is but one illus- 
tration of the nerve and backbone of this 
player, and demonstrated what grit and deter- 
mination will do towards winning games. 

There was nothing remarkable about the 
work of the Detroit team in particular. It was 
that system of adaptability which enabled them 
to be prepared and take advantage of every 
opening left by their opponents. Hanlon was 
the only member of the team that really 
showed up-to-date playing. He was very fast 
on bases, always near the top of the list in 
base running, and in addition was an expert 
bunter. It was these qualities which enabled 
him to shine as a bright particular star and 
inspire confidence and court imitation from the 
other members of his team. 



128 




RUBE WADDELL 
Pitcher, Athletics 



DARING BASE RUNNING AS 
A MEANS OF SUCCESS 




IT IS not unusual for ball 
players to advance the claim 
that they cannot play as 
good a game in one city as 
they can in another, or their 
work is better against cer- 
tain teams, while with oth- 
ers they appear at a disad- 
vantage. Again, players 
have frequently complained 
that a hoodoo hovers about 
them, or other superstitious 
ideas. Many of the major 
League players also feel 
they can put up a specially good game against 
certain clubs. Bill Lange, of the Chicago Club, 
had this feeHng when he played against Pitts- 
burg. He always seemed to be able to suc- 
cessfully make any play he undertook, and 
w^as feared by the entire Pittsburg team. 

One of the most remarkable feats ever per- 
formed on the ball field was effected at Pitts- 
burg. After reaching first base, Lange took 
a good lead, as was customary. The pitcher 
threw to first to catch the player off base. He 
threw a trifle wide and the ball rolled a few 



129 



How to Tfsy Baseball 

feet from the base. The distance was far 
from great, and not one player in a hundred 
would have been desperate enough to take his 
foot off the first bag. Lange started for sec- 
ond. The ball again went a little wide of the 
mark. It struck the second baseman's hand 
and rolled toward shortstop. Lange did not 
stop, but kept on to third. The shortstop 
hustled for the ball to head Lange off at third 
base. The runner did not dally at third, but 
continued the circuit, and came straight for 
the plate. The ball was thrown to Denny 
Lyons, w^ho was covering third base. He 
turned to put the ball on Lange, whom he ex- 
pected to catch at third. 

His surprise was great when he saw his 
runner making for home and only a few yards 
from it. Before the ball reached the catcher's 
hands, Lange had scored the run, and not only 
did he bring in the run, but, what was of 
greater importance, won the game on that run. 
The play, in my estimation, was the most dar- 
ing and remarkable ever witnessed on the ball 
field. 



170 



BRAINS A PRIMARY FACTOR 




IT HAS been repeatedly point 
ed out that brains have been 
the primary factor in any 
base-ball club's success. The 
instances are many where 
this is a fact. The Boston 
team, under the manage- 
ment of Selee and captaincy 
of Duffy, won the cham- 
pionship mainly through 
clever team work. In this 
year, particularly, the team 
was made up of brainy play- 
ers, whose ability to turn 
tricks at unexpected times made them famous. 
In addition, the majority of the men on the 
team were very fast and able to take advantage 
of an openmg. 

One of the neatest and cleverest, as well as 
one of the most original plays of recent years 
was put into operation by Tenney, the first 
baseman, and he worked it frequently with 
great success. With a runner on first and no 
one out, the batter would be sent up to sacri- 
fice. The moment the ball was pitched Ten- 
ney would start in towards the batter, taking 
the ball and throwing to second base, thus 
forcing the runner out. The ball would be 



131 




BILL DOUGLASS 



How to Play Baseball 

returned to first base in time to complete a 
double play. One great advantage Tenney had 
in the play was that he was left-handed and 
w^as in much better position to handle the ball 
than a right-handed player would have been. 
This and other similar plays emphasizes the 
fact that such players, posesssing brains, in- 
genuity and originality, are necessary to any 
team to be a success. Players should not con- 
fine their work to the two hours they appear 
on the ball field, but should endeavor to formu- 
late some new ideas when oflf the diamond 
which can be put into execution. These plays 
should be of such a nature as to completely 
surprise the opposing players, who will not 
be looking for such an event. 

Long, the shortstop, is, perhaps, the most 
nervy player in the profession. He will take 
more desperate chances than any other player 
on the field to-day. His ability as a thrower 
stamps him as a bright particular star on the 
team he represents. He is of great help to his 
team, and the catcher, knowing the ability of 
such a player, will have more confidence and 
do much better work. If the rest of the play- 
ers on a team w^ould emulate this kind of ex- 
ample, a great improvement would be notice- 
able in their team play and general all-around 
work. 



32 



The History 

of 

Base-Ball 




BASE-BALL, according to the 
most reliable and authentic 
records,, is seventy years old. 
The first record of any club 
is that of the old Olympic 
Town Ball Club, of Phila- 
delphia, Pa., which began 
playing in 1833. The game 
was then an American modi- 
fication of the old English 
game of rounders, which 
was played as far back as 
the seventeenth century. 
It is stated by New Eng- 
landers that town ball was played in Connecti- 
cut and Massachusetts a decade and more be- 
fore the Philadelphians adopted it. The Olym- 
pic Club, of Philadelphia, played town ball 
from 1833 to 1859, when the latter phase of 
base-ball, known as the ''New York game," 
came into vogue. We well remember seeing 
the Olympic Club playing ''New York'' base- 

133 



How to Play Baseball 

ball on their grounds back of the Fairmount 
Reservoir in the Quaker City in i860, when the 
noted veteran Philadelphia artist, Mr. F. DeB. 
Richards, was a conspicuous member of the 
club's nine, together with the late Bomeister 
brothers and Messrs. Anspach, Croasdale, 
Paul, Dr. Neil, Thatcher, Whitman, Tabben, 
Barclay, Fisler and others w^e cannot now call 
to mind. 

The old game of town ball as played during 
the decade of the 30's was known in the New 
England States as the ''Massachusetts game," 
in contradistinction to the form of playing base- 
ball afterwards known as the "New^ York 
game," the latter coming into vogue in the de- 
cade of the 50's. This latter phase of base-ball 
was Americanized town ball, just as the latter 
was an iVmerican improvement of rounders. 
The familiar game of those days, known as 
''one-old-cat,'' was simply the preliminary field 
exercise w^ith a bat and ball which w^as engaged 
in each practice day before the regular base- 
ball games began, and it was played as practice 
before a sufficient number of members of the 
club had arrived on the ground to play the 
regular game. It should be borne in mind that 
the basis of the old English game of rounders 
was the use of a bat and a ball in a 2'ame which 
was played on a square infield having four 
bases, besides an extra place for the batsman to 
stand when batting, and this was also the the- 
ory of American town ball. Moreover, even in 
the American game of the old Knickerbocker 

134 



The History of Baseball 

Glub, of New York, with its diamond field in 
place of the square field of town ball, the old 
rounders rule of throwing base-runners out by 
hitting them with the ball while running be- 
tween bases, was in vogue up to the time of 
the organization of the first national base-ball 
association in 1858 ; therefore, there is no 
doubt whatever as to base-ball having originat- 
ed from the two-centuries-old English game of 
rounders. But that fact does not deprive our 
present game of its legitimate title to the name 
American. The fact is, there is but one solitary 
field sport now known to Americans that can 
justly claim to be in every respect an Ameri- 
can game, and that is the old Indian game of 
lacrosse, played by the aborigines long before 
Columbus discovered America ; and in but one 
feature does lacrosse resemble base-ball, and 
that is that a bat — the crosse stick — and ball is 
used in the game. 



THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIONAL GAME 

The birth of our national game of base-ball 
may be justly said to be dated from the year 
the first national association of base-ball play- 
ers was organized, viz., on March 10, 1858, for 
then it was that the first regular printed code of 
playing rules of the game was adopted by a 
base-ball association. Prior to that year base- 
ball in the Metropolis had been played under 

135 



How to Play Baseball 

the rules of the Knickerbocker Club, but the 
association rules which went into operation in 
1858 w^re those of the regularly appointed 
committee of rules of the national association. 
Of course, this latter code of rules was a great 
improvement over that of the old Knicker- 
bocker Club ; but it was nevertheless crude and 
incomplete in many respects, as will be seen at 
a glance at some of the features of the associa- 
tion code itself. For instance, the regulation 
ball of 1858 weighed 6^ ounces, was io}i 
inches in circumference, and was composed of 
2y2 ounces of rubber covered by yarn and 
leather, a ball altogether too heavy, large and 
elastic for first-class play. The bat was any 
length the player chose to use. In the delivery 
of the ball to the bat the pitcher was allowed to 
take any number of preliminary steps he chose 
while standing behind a line twelve feet in 
length. Then, too, he could only send in the 
ball by a square pitch or toss, and not by any 
kind of throw. In addition, the batsman could 
be put out on any fair hit or foul ball that was 
caught on the first bound. There was no rule 
to punish wild pitching, and the rule governing 
called strikes was such as to allow the batsman 
almost entire freedom from outs on strikes. 
We saw one batsman in a game between the 
Mutuals and Atlantic Clubs in the 6o's allow 
over fifty balls to pass him before he struck at 
a single ball, no strikes being called even then. 
From this old code of rules one can readily see 
how great the improvement made in the game 

136 




JACK BARRY 



The History of Baseball 

has been since the days of the first national as- 
sociation. 

The first year of the decade of the 6o's may 
be said to be that of the christening of the na- 
tional game. From the year of the organiza- 
tion of the national association, base-ball pro- 
gressed rapidly in public favor; but in i860 a 
regular furore for the game set in. Clubs mul- 
tiplied and the game began to be patronized by 
hundreds where dozens only had previously 
congregated as spectators of the games. 



THE FIRST BASE-BALL TOUR 

^It was in June, i860, that the noted Excelsior 
Club, of Brooklyn, made the first base-ball tour 
known in the history of the game. This club, 
with its team of players, left Brooklyn for Al- 
bany on June 30, and began their series of 
games by defeating the Champion Club, of Al- 
bany, on July 2, by a score of 24 to 6. On July 
3 they had the Victory Club, of Troy, as their 
opponents, and the Excelsiors won again by 13 
to 7. Then they went to Bufifalo, and on July 
5 they defeated the noted Niagaras, of that 
city, by the remarkable score of 50 to 19, the 
highest score recorded in a match up to that 
date. TOf course, this succession of victories 
gave the Excelsiors a reputation which greatly 
added to the furore for the game the tour had 
occasioned. Returning from Buffalo they stop- 

137 



How to Play Baseball 

ped en route at Rochester, where, on July 7, 
they defeated the Flour City nine by 21 to i, 
and on July 8, the Live Oaks, of the same city, 
by 2"] to 9. From Rochester they went to New- 
burgh, and there played the last game of the 
tour, with the result of a victory over the Hud- 
son River Club, of the latter city, by a score of 
59 to 14. At each city on their tour the Excel- 
siors were treated with the utmost hospitality, 
and the enthusiasm for the game which their 
trip occasioned advanced it in popularity by 
years. The trip was made at the expense of 
the club, most of the club members being 
wealthy, all the games being played on free 
grounds, no gate money contests being known 
in those early amateur days; in fact, profes- 
sional ball playing in all of its different phases 
was prohibited by the laws of the national as- 
sociation of the period. 

Encouraged by the grand success of their 
tour through Western New York, the Excel- 
siors in search of new base-ball worlds to con- 
quer took a short Southern trip through Mary- 
land and Pennsylvania the same month, and on 
July 22 they played a picked nine at Baltimore, 
whom they defeated by 51 to 6, and followed it 
up by defeating a picked nine in Philadelphia 
on July 27 by 15 to 4. Before going on this 
Southern trip, however, the Excelsiors had 
begun a series of best two games out of three 
with the old Atlantic nine, of Brooklyn, and 
won the first game by the score of 23 to 4, and 
it was the prestige of this victory which gave 

138 



The History of Baseball 

their nine such attractive advertising for their 
visit to Baltimore and Philadelphia. The 
proselyting work done by the Excelsior Club 
on those two notable tours, in July, i860, had a 
great effect in extending the popularity of the 
game, and this was plainly shown in the in- 
creasing membership of the national associa- 
tion at the next annual convention. 

The most important series of matches played 
in New York in i85o was that between the Ex- 
celsior and Atlantic nines for the championship 
of the Manhattan district nominally, but in 
reality for the championship of the base-ball 
world of the period. The first game was play- 
ed — as previously recorded — on July 19, with 
the result of a one-sided victory for the Excel- 
siors by the score of 23 to 4. The game took 
place on the old Excelsior grounds, foot of 
Court street, South Brooklyn, and it attracted 
a crowd of more than 2000 people, a large as- 
semblage for those days. 

It was not until the loth of August that the 
return game was played, and that took place on 
the old Atlantic grounds, at Putnam and Marcy 
avenues, Brooklyn, fronting Johnny Wild's 
hotel, and here another crowd of spectators 
was gathered — not so large as before — who 
were entirely unsuspicious of what a surprise 
party was in store for them. Like the first 
game, the contest opened with a one-sided 
score, the third inning ending: with a total of 
8 to o in favor of the Excelsiors. At the end 
of the sixth inning the figures had been chang- 

139 



How to Play Baseball 

ed to 12 to 6, with the Excelsiors still leading. 
It was in the seventh inning, however, that the 
Atlantics worked in their surprise party, for 
then it was that they began to punish Creigh- 
ton's pitching, and the result was that the in- 
ning ended with the score of 15 to 12 in favor 
of the Atlantics. Russell was sent in to pitch 
in place of Creighton, and that ended the At- 
lantic's scoring. The Excelsiors got in two 
more runs in the next two innings, but the game 
ended with the Atlantics in the van by the 
score of 15 to 14. There was a time of great 
rejoicing at the Atlantic's headquarters that 
night in consequence of their exceptional vic- 
tory. The two clubs were now even, game and 
game, and, as under the rules, the third con- 
test had to take place on a neutral field, the new 
grounds of the Putnam Club, located at Putnam 
and Howard avenues, near Broadway, were 
selected for the test game, and on August 23 it 
took place there, but the result was anything 
but satisfactory to either side. Unfortunately, 
the rough element prevailed in the large crowd 
of spectators gathered on the occasion, and a 
lot of betting was engaged in and partisan feel- 
ing ran high. Moreover, that nuisance of pro- 
fessional base-ball of the present day, kicking, 
w^as exhibited on this occasion for the first time 
in amateur base-ball history, and the result was 
that the game ended in a row. 

The contest began in favor of the Excelsiors 
by 5 to 4, and at the end of the fourth inning the 
score stood 8 to 4 in their favor. From this 

140 



The History of Baseball 

time on the roughs in the crowd, who had bet 
on the Atlantics, began a crusade of black- 
guardism against the Excelsiors, and to such 
an extent had it proceeded that Captain James 
Leggett in the sixth inning, indignant at the 
insults his team had been subjected to, called 
his men off the field and left the ground in an 
omnibus. Before leaving, Leggett said to 
Mattie O'Brien : 

''Here's the ball, Mattie; you can keep it/' 
Mattie replied : ''Will you call it a draw, 
Joe?" 

Joe said : "All right, Mattie, let it be so," 
and thus ended the last game the two clubs 
ever played together. When the sixth inning 
had ended the score stood 8 to 6 in favor of 
the Excelsiors. The series, on account of the 
calling of this game, therefore did not settle 
the championship question. 



THE BASE BALL TOUR OF 1867 

The most important base-ball tour known to 
the game up to the decade of the 70's was that 
made through the Western States by the Na- 
tional Club, of Washington, in July, 1867, when 
that club visited no less than a half-dozen 
States and traveled nearly 3000 miles, playing 
matches in six different cities. During their 
tour they played nine matches and won all but 
one, and thereby hangs a tale. After defeating 

141 



How to Play Baseball 

the clubs of Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, 
Indianapolis and St. Louis, they met the Forest 
City Club, of Rockford, III, at Dexter Park, 
Chicago, and though the Forest City nine had 
previously been twice defeated by the Excel- 
siors, of Chicago, on this special occasion they 
came out victorious in their game with the Na- 
tionals, to the great joy of the Rockfords and 
to the surprise of the Chicago Excelsiors. In 
view of this victory over the Nationals by the 
club the Excelsiors had just defeated in tvvo 
games, the Chicago nine felt sanguine of tak- 
ing the Nationals into camp the next day. Of 
course, the largest crowd of spectators ever 
before seen at a match in Chicago thronged 
Dexter Park when the Nationals lined up 
against the Illinois champions. The Nationals 
were disgusted at their defeat by a "country 
nine,'' and that, too, at the hands of a pitcher 
just eighteen years old, as A. G. Spalding, of 
the Forest City nine, was at that time, and they 
vowed to avenge themselves on the Excelsiors, 
and they did, for they whipped the Chicago 
champions by the one-sided score of 49 to 4. 
A more disappointed crowd never left a ball 
field than the Excelsiors and the local throng 
of rooters who had backed them up. A crowd 
of St. Louis betting men who had seen the Na- 
tionals play at St. Louis had followed them 
to Chicago, and they took in all the bets that 
the Chicagoans ofifered on the Excelsiors, and 
consequently reaped a harvest on the occasion. 
In their game at Indianapolis the Nationals 

142 




BILLY HALLMAN 



The History of Baseball 

made the remarkable record of 15 home runs, 
and one of the hits, made by George Wright, 
sent the ball a distance of more than 600 feet. 



THE GREAT RECORD OF THE CINCINNATI 
RED STOCKINGS IN 1869 

We now come to the third noteworthy tour 
of the decade of the 6o's, and that was the 
journeying of the celebrated Cincinnati Red 
Stockings in 1869 through the covmtry-at- 
large, from New England to the Pacific Coast 
and from the Lakes to the Gulf. In fact, the 
Cincinnati's season of 1869 was a season of 
tours. After beating all the prominent clubs 
of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, they went East 
and defeated every club in the Atlantic States, 
namely, in Troy, Albany, Boston, New York, 
Philadelphia, Baltim.ore and Washington, in- 
cluding the Mutuals, Atlantics, Eckfords and 
Athletics. Then they went West to St. Louis 
and also to San Francisco, and ended the sea- 
son of 1869 without the loss of a single game, 
thereby becoming the legitimate champions of 
the base-ball world of that period. The Cin- 
cinnatis visited New Orleans in 1870, winning 
games there with the Pelican, Southern Atlan- 
tic, Lone Star and Robert E. Lee nines of that 
city. In May they defeated every club they 
played with in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. 
iThen they went East again, and from June i 

H3 



How to Play Baseball 



to June 14 they defeated every team they played 
with, including all the Boston clubs and the 
Mutuals, of New York, the latter by 16 to 3. 
But they met with a defeat at the hands of the 
Atlantic Club, of Brooklyn, by 8 to 7 in an 
eleven-inning game, and this was the first de- 
feat the Cincinnatis had sustained since Sep- 
tember, 1868. From April 21 to November 5, 
1870, the Cincinnatis played 74 games and lost 
but 6, but two of them were with the profes- 
sional team of Chicago, and that lost them the 
nominal cham.pionship of 1870, though in every 
other respect they had equaled their leading 
opponents that year. 

Going over the records of the prominent pro- 
fessional clubs of the country of 1870, w^hich 
included the Eastern teams of New York, 
Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Troy and Washington, 
and the Western teams of Cincinnati, Chicago, 
Cleveland and Rockford, we find the record of 
victories and defeats of those clubs, together 
with the percentage of each club's victories for 
1870, to be as follows : 



Chicago, of Chicago 

Cincinnati, of Cincinnati. . 

Mutual, of New York 

Athletic, of Philadelphia . . 
Forest City, of Rockford. 
Atlantic, of Brooklyn .... 
Forest City, of Cleveland. 

Haymakers, of Troy 

Olympic, of Washington. 



on. 


Lost. 


P.C. 


6s 


5 


.929 


68 


6 


.919 


68 


17 


.800 


37 


10 


•787 


44 


12 


.786 


41 


16 


.719 


26 


II 


•703 


32 


14 


.696 


29 


19 


.604 



144 



The History of Baseball 

Uliion, of Morrisania 20 18 .526 

Eckford, of Brooklyn 12 15 .444 

The contest for championship honors in 1870 
— it was merely a nominal title — lay between 
the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the Chicago 
White Stockings, the Atlantics, of Brooklyn ; 
the Mutuals, of New York, and the Athletics, 
of Philadelphia. There were several other 
clubs in the field that year, but they stood no 
show in the arena with the above five. 

It will be seen from the preceding chapters 
of early base-ball history that the decade of the 
6o's stands forth as the most brilliant known to 
the game. 



PROFESSIONAL BASE-BALL CLUB 

Professional base-ball playing may be said to 
have begun its history in 1868, when the first 
team of regularly paid base-ball players took 
the field against all comers under the auspices 
of the Cincinnati Base-ball and Cricket Club of 
that year, and under the team management of 
the late Harry Wright. For some years prior 
to that semi-professionalism on the co-opera- 
tive plan had existed in New York and in the 
large Atlantic cities ; but the Cincinnati Red 
Stockings of 1868 were the first team of regu- 
larly paid players to appear in the base-ball 
arena. It was from the closing month of the 
season of 1868 to the month of June, 1870, that 

145 



How to Play Baseball 

the Cincinnati Club's Red Stockings nine es- 
tablished a record of continuous victories that 
has not since been equaled, viz., that of not los- 
ing a single game from their September cam- 
paign of 1868, through the whole season of 
1869, and through that of 1870, up to the mid- 
dle of the June campaign of that year. The 
team of players who made this unequaled rec- 
ord were as follows : 

Asa Brainard, pitcher ; Douglas AUison, 
catcher ; Charles H. Gould, first base ; Charles 
J. Sweasy, second base ; Fred. A. Waterman, 
third base ; George Wright, shortstop ; Andrew 
A. Leonard, left field; Cal. A. McVey, right 
field ; Harry Wright, centre field. Harry 
Wright was the manager, captain and change 
pitcher of the team. 



THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION 

The first professional association of base-ball 
clubs was organized in New York in 1871, and 
was known as the National Association of Pro- 
fessional Base-ball Players, and the professional 
clubs which comprised its first membership 
were the clubs of Boston, New York, Brook- 
lyn, Philadelphia and Troy in the East, and of 
Chicago, Cleveland, Rockford and Fort Wayne 
in the West, wuth the Olympics, of Washing- 
ton, as an intermediate city. The Athletics 
represented Philadelphia ; the Mutuals, New 

146 



The History of Baseball 

York ; the Eckfords, Brooklyn ; the Haymak- 
ers, Troy, and the Kekiongas, Fort Wayne. 
Only eight of the ten clubs finished the season, 
and the rules of the Association's champion- 
ship code were only partially observed. 

The Kekionga team, of Fort Wayne, play- 
ed no legal game after July, and their games 
were thrown out ; the Eckford Club did not be- 
gin to play in the race until August, and their 
games, too, were not counted. As a matter of 
interesting reference we give the names of the 
players of the teams which entered the pennant 
race of 1871 : 

Philadelphia (Athletics) — Malone, catcher; 
McBride, pitcher ; Fisler, first base ; Reach, 
second base ; Meyerle, third base ; Radclifif, 
shortstop ; Cuthbert, left field ; Sensenderfer, 
centre field ; Heubell, right field. 

Boston — McVey, catcher ; Spalding, pitcher ; 
Gould, first base ; Barnes, second base ; Shaf- 
fer, third base ; George Wright, shortstop ; 
Cone, left field ; H. Wright, centre field ; Bird- 
sail, right field ; Jackson, substitute. 

Chicago — Hodes, catcher; Zettlein,. pitcher ; 
McAtee, first base ; Wood, second base ; Pink- 
ham, third base ; Dufify, shortstop ; Treacy, left 
field ; M. King, centre field ; Simmons, right 
field. 

Troy (Haymakers) — McGeary, catcher; Mc- 
MulHn, pitcher ; Flynn, first base ; Craver, sec- 
ond base ; Bellan, third base ; Flowers, short- 
stop; S. King, left field; Yorke, centre field; 
Pike, right field. 

147 



How to Play Baseball 

New York (Mtttuals)— C. Mills, catcher; 
Wolters, pitcher; Start, first base; Ferguson, 
second base ; Smith, third base ; Pearce, short- 
stop ; Hatfield, left field ; Eggler, centre field ; 
Patterson, right field. 

Washington (Olympics) — D. AlHson, catch- 
er ; Brainard, pitcher ; E. Mills, first base ; 
Sweasy, second base; Waterman, third base; 
Force, shortstop ; Leonard, left field ; George 
Hall, centre field ; Berthrong, right field. 

Rockford (Forest City) — Hastings, catcher; 
Fisher, pitcher ; Mack, first base ; Addy, sec- 
ond base; Anson, third base; Fulmer, short- 
stop ; Ham, left field ; Bird, centre field ; Stires, 
right field. 

Brooklyn (Eckfords) — Hicks, catcher; Mar- 
tin, pitcher ; A. Allison, first base ; Swandell, 
second base ; Nelson, third base ; Holdsworth, 
shortstop ; Gedney, left field ; Shelly, centre 
field ; Chapman, right field ; W. Allison, substi- 
tute. 

The Atlantics, of Brooklyn, played in only 
21 games in 1871, of which they lost 8, while 
the Eckfords played 60, of which they won 37. 

In 1872 eleven clubs entered for the Associa- 
tion championship, the cities represented being 
Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia. 
Baltimore, Washington, Troy and Mansfield, 
Conn., in the East, and Chicago and Cleveland 
in the West. Washington entered tw^o teams 
at the beginning of the season, but one with- 
drew. 

In 1873 nine clubs entered for the Associa- 

148 



The History of J3aseball 

tion champiotiship, but only eight were ac- 
corded a position in the record at the close of 
the campaign. The Maryland Club, of Balti- 
more, after losing five games, retired from the 
arena. In 1873 a rival club to the Athletics, of 
Philadelphia, entered the field, it being the 
Philadelphias, and they not only outplayed their 
local opponents, but would probably have 
won the pennant but for some questionable 
methods employed toward the finish. They 
led the Athletics in the race by a percentage of 
victories of .679 to .549. In that year Tim 
Murnane played first base and Anson shortstop 
for the Athletics. A new aspirant from New 
Jersey entered the Hsts in 1873, the Resolutes, 
of Elizabeth, which nine included : D. AUison, 
catcher, Wolters, pitcher ; Mike Campbell, 
first base ; Laughlin, second base ; Swandell, 
third base ; Jack Farrell, shortstop ; Fleet, left 
field; Austin, centre field, and High Campbell, 
right field. 

No more striking evidence of the unsatis- 
factory working of affairs under the old Asso- 
ciation's management can be presented than 
that shown by the championship record of 
1874. Eight clubs entered the lists that year, 
one only of which represented the West, viz., 
Chicago. The other cities that had teams were 
Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, 
Baltimore and Hartford, two clubs entering 
from Philadelphia. At the close of the cham- 
pionship season, when the Association's com- 
mittee examined the records, it was found that 

149 



How to Play Baseball 

out of 232 games scheduled to be played, only 
185 legally counted in the decisive record, 96 
games of the schedule being left unplayed. 

The professional season of 1875 saw the 
management of the aitairs of the Association 
culminate in a manner so damaging to the wel- 
fare of the fraternity at large as to lead to a 
movement for reform measures, which finally 
gave the death blow to the old Association, and 
its place w^as taken by a new organization, the 
main object of which was the substitution of a 
professional league governed by clubs for an 
association controlled chiefly by players. In 
1875 sundry evils in the professional system of 
the period had grow^n to such an extent that 
they threatened its future existence. Contract 
breaking, "revolving,'' the failure to meet en- 
gagements, and, what was worse than all, pool 
and gam.bling influences, led to the develop- 
ment of a degree of dishonesty in the ranks 
which brought professional ball playing down 
to the level of the turf contests of the period. 
It was under this condition of afifairs that the 
season of 1875 terminated, and then was com- 
menced the reform movement which led to the 
establishment of the ''National League of Pro- 
fessional Base-ball Clubs," in 1876, and this it 
was that saved the life of the professional sys- 
tem of ball playing. 

In 1875 thirteen clubs entered the lists for 
the Professional Association championship, 
representing seven Eastern and three Western 
cities — New York, Boston, Brooklyn, Wash- 

150 



The History of Baseball 

ington, Hartford and New Haven, each enter- 
ing one club from the East, Chicago and Keo- 
kuk, la., one each from the West, and Phila- 
delphia entering three clubs and St. Louis two. 
Such an arrangement in itself was a barrier to 
success in the season's campaign, and the final 
result proved it, as only eleven of the thirteen 
clubs played out their quota of games. Phila- 
delphia entered the old Athletics, the Philadel- 
phias and the new Centennial Club, the St. 
Louis Club and the Red Stockings, of St. 
Louis, being the two clubs from the latter city. 
Bankruptcy attended the closing up of the af- 
fairs of the majority of the above clubs in 1875. 
The most noteworthy contest of the old Asso- 
ciation's last season was that played at Chi- 
cago, June 19, between the Chicago White 
Stockings and the Dark Blues, of Hartford, in 
which the veteran pugilist, Billy McLean, of 
Philadelphia, acted as umpire. For ten suc- 
cessive innings not a run was scored on eitiier 
side, but in the eleventh the Chicago won, i to 
o. Zettlein pitched for Chicago and Arthur 
Cummings for Hartford, the late veteran, Rob- 
ert Ferguson, being manager and third base- 
man of the Blues, with D. Allison, catcher ; E. 
Mills, Burdock and Ferguson being on the 
bases ; Carey as shortstop, and York, Remsen 
and Bond in the outfield, the nine includinc: no 
less than six Brooklyn players. Besides Zett- 
lein the Chicaeo nine included Hig^ham, catch- 
er ; Devlin, Miller and Warren on the bases ; 
Peters as shortstop, and Glenn, Hines and 

151 



How to Play Baseball 

Hastings in the outfield. It is interesting to 
note the make-up of the St. Louis Club for the 
year that club first entered the Professional As- 
sociation. It was as follows : Miller, catcher ; 
Bradley, pitcher; Dehlman, first base; Battin, 
second base ; Fleet, third base ; Dick Pearce, 
shortstop, with Cuthbert, Pike and Chapman in 
the outfield. Billy Barnie was catcher of the 
Western team of Keokuk that year, with Gold- 
en as pitcher. Matthews and Hicks were the 
MutuaFs battery; McBride and Clapp that of 
the Athletics ; Zettlein and Hastings for Chi- 
cago ; Fisher and Snyder for the Philadelphias, 
and Spalding and White for the Bostons, it 
being the last year that the latter two played to- 
gether in the Boston Club. 



THE ADVENT OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE 

The National League began its history in the 
spring of 1876, when the Mutual Club repre- 
sented Brooklyn, Mr. Cammeyer being vir- 
tually its proprietor and manager; the Athlet- 
ics, of course, represented Philadelphia. The 
Hartford Club was a new organization, with 
Mr. Bulkeley, ex-Governor of Connecticut, at 
its head, and he was elected first president of 
the newly-organized National League. At the 
close of the season of 1876 the Athletic and 
Mutual Clubs were expelled from the League 
for failing to play out their full schedule of 



games. 



IC2 



The History of Baseball 

In 1877 only six clubs comprised the League 
circuit, neither Philadelphia nor Brooklyn be- 
ing represented, as in 1876. Moreover, the 
Cincinnati Club forfeited its membership for 
that year, owing to non-payment of dues, and 
its championship games were thrown out, 
though the club played y2 games, of which it 
w^on but 19. 

In 1878 the Cincinnati Club, having squared 
it accounts, re-entered the League, and the new 
club from Providence became a member. The 
St. Louis Club, as also the Hartford Club, re- 
signed their membership, and, as Indianapolis 
and Milwaukee were elected members of the 
League, the circuit was again one of six clubs. 

In 1879 the League's circuit was extended to 
eight clubs, as in 1876, and it remained at this 
number from 1879 i-^ntil 1892, when it was ex- 
tended to twelve clubs. 

In 1879 the Buffalo Club entered the League, 
as also the Star Club, of Syracuse. The Troy 
Club — the successor of the old Haymakers, of 
the 6o's — also entered the ranks, thereby mak- 
ing the circuit eight clubs, the Indianapolis 
and Milwaukee Clubs retiring. It was in this 
year that the uniform charge of 50 cents for 
admission to the League games was adopted. 



RECORD OF THE 80'S 

We now come to the decade of the 8o's, dur- 
ing which the National League had to fight 

153 



How to Play Baseball 

hard, not only to maintain its supremacy as the 
leading professional organization of the coun- 
try, but also to sustain the reputation for in- 
tegrity of play in the professional ranks which 
it had started out to enforce in 1876. It was 
during this decade that the rival organization, 
the American Association, sprang into ex- 
istence, with its special point of half the price of 
admission to its games to that charged by the 
National League. The advent of this associa- 
tion occurred in 1882, and two years later the 
fundamental principle of the League, inaugu- 
rated in the 8o's, viz., that of its reserved play- 
ers' clause, was made war upon by the Union 
Association, established in 1884 to fight the re- 
serve rule. The latter association only lived a 
season, the League proving too powerful an 
adversary for its longer existence. 

In 1880 the Syracuse Club, having forfeited 
its membership by failing to play its quota of 
scheduled games, the Worcester Club entered 
the League in its place. 

In 1 88 1 the Cincinnati Club's position in the 
League was declared vacant, owing to the 
club's non-observance of sundry League rules, 
and the Detroit Club was given its place, the 
other seven clubs remaining as before. It was 
in the winter of 1880 that the National League 
adopted the following important resolution, 
which it has strictly observed ever since : 

At a meeting of the National Leae^ue on De- 
cember 8, 1880, on motion a preamble was read 
to the effect that the noted quartette of Louis- 

151 



The History of Baseball 

ville players, viz., Al. ''Nichols,'' James Devlin, 
G. W. Hall and W. Graver, having applied for 
the removal of their disabilities, the following 
resolution be adopted : 

"Resolved, That notice is hereby served on 
the persons named, and on their friends, de- 
fenders and apologists, that the Board of Di- 
rectors of the National League will never re- 
mit the penalties inflicted upon such persons, 
nor will they hereafter entertain any appeal 
from them or in their behalf/' 

The establishment of this fundamental prin- 
ciple of the professional base-ball business is 
the corner-stone of the National League build- 
ing, and the very life of the business depends 
upon its being sustained by future governments 
in professional base-ball. 

From 1877 thereafter to the ertd of the Na- 
tional League's existence, no player found 
guilty of dishonesty in the professional clubs 
under the National Agreement, will be allowed 
to play in any professional club. It was the 
strict enforcement of this rule which made 
professional base-ball the most honest field 
sport in vogue. 

It was in 1882 that the League adopted a rule 
requiring each club to have its club colors 
shown in the stockings of the players' uniforms. 
The Boston nine, red stockings ; the Ghicagos, 
white; the Glevelands, navy blue, the Troys, 
green ; the Providence, light blue ; the Buffalos, 
gray ; the Detroits, old gold, and the Worces- 
ters, brown. These were the colors chosen. 

155 



How to Play Baseball 

In 1883 an important change in the League 
circuit was made, the two prominent League 
AlHance Clubs of 1882 — the New York and 
Philadelphia Clubs — entering the League cir- 
cuit this year, Troy and Worcester retiring. 
The New York team was materially strength- 
ened by accessions from the Troy Club, no- 
tably so in the case of Ewing, Keefe, Welch, 
Connor and Gillespie. 

In 1885 the League virtually broke up the 
Union Association of 1884 by taking its chief 
supporter from its ranks, President Lucas, of 
the St. Louis Club, entering the League, Cleve- 
land being retired. A year afterward the Cleve- 
lands joined the American Association ; but 
two seasons in that organization sufficed, and 
in 1889 that club returned to its old love, the 
League. 

In 1886 two changes were made in the 
League's circuit. Providence and Buffalo retir- 
ing and the Washington and Kansas City Clubs 
taking their places in the League. 

In 1887 St. Louis and Kansas City were re- 
tired from the League, and Pittsburg and In- 
dianapolis replaced them, the latter entering the 
League for the second time. These changes, 
together with the recruiting of the Detroit's 
ranks with the "big four" of the period, en- 
abled that club, after seven seasons' trial, to 
win the pennant. 

In 1888 no change was made in the League 
circuit, the same clubs competing for the pen- 
nant as in the previous year. 

156 



The History of Baseball 

In 1889 Cleveland resumed its old position 
as a member of the League, Detroit retiring. 



PLAYERS' LEAGUE REVOLUTION 

A wonderful transformation scene occurred 
in League history in 1890, viz., that of the 
players' revolt. The year 1889 had closed so 
brilliantly — that being the year of the great 
tour of the world made by Spalding and the 
combination of the Chicago and All-American 
teams, which culminated in the grand banquet 
in Delmonico's, in New York, over which the 
Mayors of New York and Brooklyn presided — 
that the revolution of 1890 burst upon the mag- 
nates of the League like the sudden eruption 
of a volcano. It proved to be just such a test 
of the innate strength of the National League 
as the great rebellion of the 6o's in the South- 
ern States was of the strength of the Union 
itself. In proportion to its size it was just as 
costly while it lasted, but this time the League 
mastered its adversaries in such a way that it 
put an end forever to any future revolt of the 
kind. The final outcome of the base-ball revo- 
lution of 1890 was not only the utter defeat of 
the League secessionists, but also the death of 
the League's old rival, the American Associa- 
tion. But further comment on the subject is 
out of place and beyond the scope of this brief 
statistical review of professional baseball his- 
tory. 

157 



How to Play Baseball 

In 1890 the Cincinnati Club re-entered the 
League circuit, and Brooklyn was once more 
represented in the National League for the first 
time since 1876, Indianapolis and Washington 
both retiring. The demoralized condition of 
things which prevailed in the League in 1890 
enabled the strong team of the Brooklyn Club 
— fresh from winning the championship of the 
American Association in 1889 — to carry oflf 
the honors. 

It was in 1890 that the Pittsburg Club made 
the unprecedented record in the championship 
campaign of scoring 114 defeats. In 1891 the 
American Association committed suicide 
through the medium of its secession from the 
National Agreem.ent compact, and for the time 
being a badly demoralized condition of things 
prevailed in the professional base-ball arena, as 
it threatened to give a death-blow to the whole 
professional business by destroying public faith 
in its honesty. At this critical juncture, how- 
ever, the National League stepped into this 
dangerous gap for its rescue from bankruptcy, 
and at a cost of $180,000 bought up the four 
leading clubs of the American Association and 
thereby extended the League's circuit and at 
the same time ended the ten years' history of 
the rival association, its demise being the result 
of its breaking the National Agreement. No 
change occurred in the circuit in i8qi, the re- 
construction business not being completed until 
the winter of i8q2, though the movement began 
after the close of the campaign in 1891. 

158 



The History of Baseball 

It will be seen that the story of the progress 
of the National League from its organization 
in 1876 up to the period of its reconstruction in 
1892, presents a chapter of base-ball history of 
the deepest interest, inasmuch as it is descrip- 
tive of the evolution of professional base-ball, 
through the wrecking era of pool gambling — 
which ordeal it had to withstand during the de- 
cade of the 70's — to that harbor of safety, the 
"National Agreement,'' in which it was anchor- 
ed in 1885.- The League's successful resistance 
to the greed of the "star" players of the fra- 
ternity in 1890, and its victory in its fight with 
the old American Association in 1891, closed its 
checkered career up to the time of the recon- 
struction of its circuit in 1902. 

It was during this long period of its history 
that the League found itself antagonized by the 
worst elements of professional base-ball playing. 
At first downright crookedness raised its hide- 
ous head, then came that other phase of pro- 
fessional dishonesty — contract breaking — the 
door to which was opened by the rivalry with 
the opposition American Association, while 
drunkenness prevailed in the ranks to an extent 
which made it an obstacle to the financial suc- 
cess of base-ball. All these elements of opposi- 
tion to playing the game in its integrity were, 
of necessity, obliged to be met and conquered 
by arbitrary enactments and strong coercive 
measures, which would naturally be objection- 
able under a better condition of things. Ex- 
perience, in fact, taught the League that noth- 

159 



How to Play Baseball 

ing short of the ungloved hand would be able 
to cope successfully against the evils that that 
organization had to encounter during the era 
of the rule of the ''rough" element in the pro- 
fessional fraternity. 



NEW ERA OF THE DECADE OF THE 90'S 

The advent of the twelve-club circuit of the 
National League in 1892 led to the inaugura- 
tion of a new era in professional base-ball his- 
tory, as it began the reign of a strong major 
league as the leading organization in the gov- 
ernment of the whole professional base-ball 
fraternity. Prior to 1892 the eight clubs of the 
National League circuit comprised the Boston, 
New York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia Clubs, 
representing the Eastern section, and the Chi- 
cago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburg 
Clubs the Western. In 1892, however, the 
Baltimore and Washington Clubs were added 
to the' Eastern branch and the St. Louis and 
Louisville Clubs to the Western, and then be- 
gan the twelve-club pennant race in the Na- 
tional League for that year. Then, too, a new 
experiment in pennant racing was commenced, 
and that was the arrangement of a double 
schedule of games for the season, the first be- 
ginning in April and ending in July, the sec- 
ond season lasting from July to October, the 
full schedule calling for the playing of 150 
games by each club during the entire season. 

160 




BAN JOHNSON 
President of the American League 



The History of Baseball 

Thus far in the history of the reconstruction 
of the National League circuit from eight to 
twelve clubs, the League occupied the un- 
questioned position of a great major organ- 
ization, all the other leagues in the arena being 
minor leagues. But in 1899 the Western 
League — the leader of the minor leagues — 
began to aspire to a position of equality with 
the existing major league, and it sought for an 
opening in that direction in Chicago. In the 
meantime the financial results of the National 
League's campaign of 1899 had been so un- 
satisfactory, largely due to the existing Span- 
ish war of that period, that the League's legis- 
lators deemed it necessary to take some action 
calculated to improve matters in 1900. But 
without looking carefully into the question of 
the true cause of its financial losses of 1899 
they jumped to the hasty and unwise conclu- 
sion that the reduction of the League's circuit 
from twelve to eight clubs would obviate the 
difficulty, and the practical results of their de- 
termination to try the experiment was to leave 
the League franchises of the Baltimore, Wash- 
ington, Cleveland and Louisville Clubs unrep- 
resented by teams in the pennant race of 1900. 
This premature change in the arrangement of 
the League circuit, made two years prior to the 
end of the ten years' compact, resulted in the 
first place in no improvement in the financial 
returns of 1900 or in the attractive character 
of the pennant race of that year, while one im- 
portant consequence was that it opened the 

161 



How to Play Baseball 

door to the extension of the expansion poHcy 
of the American League, and idtimately to the 
base-ball war inaugurated that year with its 
costly sequence of demoralization in the ranks 
and a return to the old contract-breaking evils 
which characterized the rivalry between the 
League and the American Association during 
the decade of the 8o's. 

In December, 1901, the ten years' League 
compact ended, and a new era of National 
League history was begun. 

In recording the most important fact relat- 
ing to professional base-ball history, since the 
time of its organization in 1871, one has to 
make special reference to a chapter of the ex- 
perience which marked the decade of the 8o's, 
during which period the American Asso- 
ciation, starting out as a minor organization, 
essayed to rival the National League as a 
major league. What this would-be rivalry 
cost the National League during the decade 
of the 80's in the way of raising the salaries 
of the players may be judged by the figures of 
the salaries paid to star players the year before 
the American Association was organized, and 
the salaries paid in 1889, the last successful- 
year of the old Association. Here are the 
figures side by side : 

Player. 1881 1889 

M. J. Kelly $1300 $4000 

H. Richardson 1250 4200 

E. N. Williamson 1400 3000 

D. Brouthers 875 4700 

162 



The History of Baseball 

J. H. O'Rourke 2000 3500 

J. L. White 1600 3500 

J. C. Rowe 1250 3500 

E. Hanlon 1200 3100 

G. A. Wood 875 2500 

James Galvin 1200 3000 

Fred Pfeffer 750 3000 

William Ewing 1000 5000 

J. M. Ward 1700 4250 

T. J. Keefe 1500 4500 

Roger Connor 900 3500 

It was during the decade of the 8o's 
that the fact was practically realized by the 
club magnates of the period that the players 
were reaping nearly all of the financial benefits 
of the whole professional business, this being 
shown by a statement published in November, 
1889, by Messrs. Spalding, Day and Rogers, 
in which the following paragraph appeared : 

''To correct misapprehension in the pub- 
lic mind as to the alleged enormous profits di- 
vided among stockholders of League clubs, it 
may be interesting to know that during the 
past five — and only prosperous — years, there 
have been paid in cash dividends to stockhold- 
ers in the eight League clubs less than $150,- 
000, and during the same time League players 
have received in salaries over $1,500,000. The* 
balance of the profits of the few successful 
clubs, together with the original capital and 
subsequent assessments of stockholders, is rep- 
resented entirely in grounds and improvements 
for the permanent good of the game, costing 

163 



How to Play Baseball 

about $600,000/' 

Before closing this series of chapters of pro- 
fessional base-ball history it is necessary to 
refer to two systems connected with the busi-. 
ness, without which the government of the 
fraternity at large would be helpless, and they 
are the ''National Agreement" compact and 
the ''Reserve Rule." Both are a necessity in 
the business, but especially is the National 
Agreement, which is the very basis of the 
whole professional base-ball structure. Before 
it was established a condition of things pre- 
vailed in the business which, if continued an- 
other year, would have given the death blow 
to professional base-ball, inasmuch as pool 
gambling, contract breaking and revolving 
were existing abuses in the professional arena 
up to the time of the enactment of this self 
same "National Agreement." 



NATIONAL LEAGUE'S CHAMPIONSHIP 
RECORD 

The record showing which clubs have won 
pennant races since the organization of the 
National League in 1876 presents a very inter- 
esting historical table, as it contains the figures 
of the total victories and defeats scored bv each 
club from 1876 to 1902 inclusive, as well as the 
percentage of victories for each season and the 
numbers of clubs comprising the circuit each 

164 




SCRAPPY BILL" JOYCE 



The History of Baseball 

year, together with the names of the chib man- 
agers of each team winning championship 
honors. The table is as follows : 



THE CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS 



Years. Winners. 


Won. 


Lost. 


P. c't. : 


Managers. Clubs. 


1876 Chicago . . . 


, . 52 


14 


.788 


Spalding 


8 


1877 Boston . . . 


. 31 


17 


.646 


H. Wright 


6 


1878 Boston . . . , 


. . 41 


19 


.680 


H. Wright 


6 


1879 Providence. 


. 55 


23 


.705 


Geo. Wright 8 


1880 Chicago . . , 


. . 67 


17 


.798 


Anson 


8 


1881 Chicago . . , 


. . 56 


28 


.667 


Anson 


8 


1882 Chicago . . 


. . 55 


29 


.655 


Anson 


8 


1883 Boston . . . 


., 63 


28 


.750 


Bancroft 


8 


1884 Providence. 


. 84 


35 


.643 


Morrill 


8 


1885 Chicago . . , 


. . 87 


25 


.776 


Anson 


8 


1886 Chicago . . . 


. 90 


34 


.725 


Anson 


8 


1887 Detroit . . . 


.. 79 


45 


.637 


Watkins 


8 


1888 New Yori^ . 


..84 


47 


.641 


Mutrie 


8 


1889 New York., 


. . 83 


43 


.659 


Mutrie 


8 


1890 Brooklyn .. 


, . 86 


43 


.667 


McGunnigle 8 


1891 Boston . . . 


. 87 


51 


.630 


Selee 


8 


1892 Boston . . . 


..102 


48 


.680 


Selee 


12 


1893 Boston . . . 


. 86 


43 


.667 


Selee 


12 


1894 Baltimore.. 


.. 89 


39 


.695 


Hanlon 


12 


1895 Baltimore . 


. 87 


43 


.669 


Hanlon 


12 


1896 Baltimore . 


. . 90 


39 


.698 


Hanlon 


12 


1897 Boston . . . 


.. 93 


39 


.705 


Selee 


12 


1898 Boston 


.102 


47 


.685 


Selee 


12 


1899 Brooklyn . . 


..101 


47 


.682 


Hanlon 


12 


1900 Brooklyn . 


.. 82 


54 


.603 


Hanlon 


8 


1901 Pittsburg . 


. 90 


49 


.647 


Clarke 


8 


1902 Pittsburg . . 


.103 


36 


.741 


Clarke 


8 



i6s 



PARTING WORDS OF ADVICE 




WILL LAN(;E, the Chicago 
player, was remarkably pro- 
lific in his work on the dia- 
mond. He executed many 
remarkable plays. Catches 
in the outfield, which ap- 
peared to be good for home 
runs, would be taken by him 
with that same ease and 
grace that might be ex- 
pected in an ordinary fly. 
His judgment was unerr- 
ing. He has demonstrated 
his value as a player many 
times, and seemed to be able to do exactly the 
right thing at the right time. 

In the recent series of games with St. Louis, 
some excellent playing was witnessed, but 
there was an absence of that kind of play 
which not only materially aids in winning 
games, but gives satisfaction to the spectators. 
In the run-and-hit game, the Philadelphia Club 
gave an excellent display of sacrifice hitting, 
and it was largely due to this fact that the 
series was won by Philadelphia, as the teams 
otherwise were very evenly matched. Players 
will often find many opportunities to help their 
club if they will only watch for them. Over- 

167 



APR 21 1903 



How to Play Baseball 



anxiety is another bad fault. Patience should 
be cultivated, and in this the local club is mak- 
ing splendid progress. But for the fact that 
Plank was not at his best, the entire series 
would have been won by the Philadelphians. 
It w^as a slugging match, with an entire 
absence of scientific playing, which both teams 
are capable of. 

Hustings won the second game by his ex- 
cellent pitching, aided by good fielding, while 
in the remaining games the work of the local 
players left little to be desired. 

As it has been already pointed out, every 
player on a team should know as far as pos- 
sible the play of his club mates. A perfect 
understanding should exist between the play- 
ers, and every man should work for his team 
and not for self. 



i68 



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